Amethyst
by celtic7irish
Summary: Complete! HPSS. Rated M to be safe. Second story in the Jachyra Trilogy. Revamped to remove hopefully inconsistencies. WARNING! MPreg is mentioned in the last chapter, so consider yourselves forewarned. Also two torture scenes very mild
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Amarth, nothing else.**

**Chapter One: Ground Rules**

Harry sighed, staring at the train that would bring him back to the Dursleys, leaning back against Severus' firm chest. Even with Voldemort's defeat, the Ministry's judgment stood firm, and so Harry had to return to his relatives. Fortunately, Severus was coming with him now, and both Remus and Draco, and possibly Lucius, would join him in a week.

Boarding the Hogwarts Express, Harry and Severus quickly found an empty compartment. Harry had asked why Severus didn't just apparate to the London station, but the older man had just shrugged, not answering. Harry found it sweet that he was coming on what had to be, for him, an unnecessary, stressful ride, surrounded by intolerable brats.

A few minutes later, the train started moving just as the compartment door slid open to admit Ron and Hermione. Severus rolled his eyes and sent a thought to Harry. **_'Of course. The Golden Trio, united again. I should have known.'_** Harry just laughed, earning odd looks from his two best friends.

The trip passed pleasantly enough, the three Gryffindors always sure to include the Potions Master in their conversations, no matter how inconsequential the topic seemed to be. Severus would never admit it out loud, but he appreciated their acceptance of him as a part of Harry's life. In return, Severus allowed them to call him by his first name, and both Weasley and Granger insisted that he do the same. So Ron and Hermione it was.

When they finally arrived at the station, Harry grinned, a familiar sparkle of mischief in his eyes. He sent a few mental suggestions to Severus, who grinned back at him and nodded in silent agreement. Severus waited just outside the platform barrier while Harry sought out his uncle. It didn't take long at all, since Vernon was a bit difficult to miss.

Vernon glared at his nephew, but Harry just smiled sweetly. "You might want to be careful this summer, Uncle Vernon, or else you're going to get hexed," he warned. Vernon let out a loud bark of laughter then spat in Harry's face, spittle flying. Through the mind link, Severus was able to hear every word spoken.

"Don't bother lying to me, you worthless freak. Remember that letter? You can't do anything freakish to us, or else you'll be arrested and expelled. And no one will come for you this time, boy."

Harry just shook his head and stared his uncle in the eyes, covering his nervousness very well, in Severus' opinion. "Tell me, Uncle Vernon," he started amicably, "what deal did you make with Voldemort?"

Vernon paled, then just as rapidly flushed. Severus watched with a sort of detached fascination as Vernon went through several stages of red and purple before opening his mouth again. However, nothing came out in his rage, so he resorted to his typical method of warning his nephew that he'd gone too far, mindless of the crowd around him, most of who were from wizarding families. Raising his hand to cuff the insolent child, he was startled to suddenly feel his body freeze where he stood.

Harry grinned up at him and spoke slowly, as if to a small child, with his friends and their families watching intently. "I never said that I would hex you. Severus is quite willing to do it for me." Vernon racked his brain, trying to remember where he had heard that name before. He needn't have strained himself, because Severus chose at that moment to enter his line of sight.

If Vernon hadn't been frozen, he would have screamed. It was one of the freaks who had barged into his house last summer and taken the boy, saving his life from the people who would have gotten rid of the pest once and for all, leaving him and his family blameless. The wizard just smirked at him before turning to Harry. "Are you all right?" he asked softly.

Harry nodded and grinned, "Just peachy."

Severus glanced back at Vernon and casually waved his wand, releasing the man from his bonds. He could have done it wandlessly, since his powers had increased along with Harry's after the grounding, but he figured a wand would frighten the man more. After all, only the most simple-minded fools would fear the wand more, unable to comprehend the power needed to perform wandless magic.

Smirking, Harry prompted Vernon to move towards the car, amidst laughter from the wizards and witches at the station. After all, Harry was a hero, and the stupid muggle was getting exactly what he deserved. Actually, many of them were of the opinion that he had gotten far less than he deserved, but then again, Harry had just arrived, and it was a bit crowded at the station to do anything too horrible.

After their trunks had been loaded, along with Hedwig's cage, they were headed for Privet Drive. Harry's snowy owl had decided that she would prefer to fly and meet them at the Dursleys, so Harry had left her at Hogwarts, where she could follow at her leisure.

Arriving at 4 Privet Drive, Vernon finally broke the silence, glaring murderously and Harry and his companion. Grumbling under his breath, he growled out, "There, the boy has made it here safely. You can go now."

Severus just looked down at him, amused at the muggle's dismissal, and drawled, "I don't think you understand, Mr. Dursley. I'm here for the summer."

Vernon just gaped and spluttered for several minutes, reminding his passengers eerily of Cornelius Fudge. While they waited for him to figure out what he was trying to say, Harry and Severus climbed out of the car and walked into the house, going straight to Dudley's second bedroom. While Vernon continued to splutter incoherently, Severus cast some spells, with Harry lending him both energy and ideas.

In a matter of minutes, the room was three times larger on the inside than it had been, while still appearing the same side on the outside. All the broken toys had been banished, and the books set neatly on the bookshelves. There were two dressers and two beds, made of beautiful mahogany and covered in black silk sheets, with dark green comforters. Slytherin green curtains surrounded the perimeter of their beds, heavy and designed to hold warmth. The threadbare rug had been transfigured into a thick green carpet, and various shelves now lined the wall, as well as a locked case. These would be for Severus' potions, ingredients, and cauldrons — he had brought three with him.

Harry glared at the two beds, then shot Severus a pointed look. Severus grinned, then banished the second bed and changed the first into a Master bed, easily able to hold four full-grown wizards and a couple of children, situated in the center of the room. They'd find room for the others when they arrived.

They had just finished unpacking when Vernon slammed the door open, panting heavily from the exertion of his rage. Harry muffled his laughter as he caught a stray thought from Severus, who was annoyed that he hadn't though to erect locking and silencing charms first.

"I won't stand for this," Vernon bellowed. "We are the boy's legal guardians. Even the court supported it. You have no right to interfere in our life here," he spat at Severus.

Severus drew himself up to his full imposing height, his eyes turning icy as he glared at Vernon. It was the glare he used to terrify his students and colleagues alike. Vernon, however, was obviously too stupid to notice the warning signs, and continued ranting. Severus' attention was diverted as he felt Harry's rage and utter mortification, and realized that the boy was about to shift despite the claming influence Severus was exerting over Harry though the bond.

Desperate, Severus employed a more Slytherin tactic of calming Harry down, kissing him brutally. Successfully distracted, Harry relaxed and submitted to Severus' kiss, parting his lips and eagerly pulling the older wizards' tongue into his mouth.

When they finally broke apart, several blissful moments later, they turned to find Vernon staring wide-eyed at them, his mouth opening and closing silently, reminding the two lovers of a goldfish.

Harry's violet eyes hardened and he spoke coldly. "Things are going to change around here, and I won't repeat myself, so you had better listen the first time, Vernon. First of all, Voldemort has been destroyed. I defeated him, so any agreement you many have had with him is now null and void. The same applies to any and all of this pathetic little Death Eaters."

"Secondly, the Ministry is run by an incompetent idiot who won't be in power for much longer. The judge and jury from my trial were placed under a very powerful compulsion spell, the Imperious Curse, and then killed. The idiotic Minister covered it up, but it will come out soon. I have seen to it."

"Severus here is my mate, my lover, and you will respect him. I have given him permission to hex or curse you in any way he sees fit provided that the damage isn't permanent. He does not need a reason to attack anyone here, but unlike you, I know he will refrain as long as you treat the both of us properly."

"Lastly, in one week, my godfather and bond-brother, and possibly his father, will be arriving. They, too, are to be treated with respect. Not only are Remus and Lucius adult wizards, able to use magic like Severus here, but Remus is also a werewolf, so I wouldn't recommend pissing him off. He tends to get…aggressive when his family's threatened. We can take care of our own needs, but we will not be made to take care of yours. You leave us alone, and we'll do the same. Now, get out of our room." With that, Vernon was pushed out of the door, which shut and locked behind him.

Severus looked over at Harry, pride shining in his onyx eyes as he praised his young lover. "You did very well there, Harry. You let him know that you won't let him push you around anymore."

Harry smiled shyly up at him and whispered, "I had a good teacher." Severus just smiled at this. It was true, he admitted ruefully. Harry had certainly learned how to put an authoritative chill in his voice and to set an expressionless mask over his features. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as he didn't get so used to wearing it that he forgot himself.

"Like you did?" murmured Harry, snuggling up to him. Severus started, then relaxed as he realized that the were-Jachyra had read his mind. It didn't bother him when Harry did it, which surprised him. Severus Snape was a very private man, but he felt that he didn't have so uptight around his bonded. After all, it's not like Harry would ever betray him.

Smiling slightly, Severus lay down on the bed next to Harry, covering them both up and just holding the younger wizard. "Yeah, like I did," he murmured softly, as sleep gently stole over the two heroes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Just the storyline and Amarth.**

**Warning: Some language in here**

**Chapter Two: Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes**

Harry stretched languidly as he woke up, smiling contentedly and all but purring in lazy satisfaction. Curled up beside him, Severus chuckled and stroked his hand up and down Harry's tanned chest, mapping out his musculature and causing Harry to shiver in delight and increase the volume of his approval. Severus pointed out that he was purring, and he immediately stopped, giving the older man a glare of mock anger and indignation, to which Severus merely smirked.

Muttering "Tempus," Harry checked the time. His eyes widened and he collapsed back onto the bed groaning, "Why the fuck are we up this early?"

Severus shrugged and replied, "I don't know. I'm usually not even up this early, but you woke me up with your incessant wriggling." Harry thought for a few seconds, then frowned as he realized just what he was doing up at four in the morning.

Growling irritably, he pulled Severus down beside him and murmured, "Go back to sleep, Sev. There's no longer any reason for me to be up this early, and that goes for you too."

Severus nodded agreeably and was about to drift back off to sleep when Harry's words filtered through his sleep-fuzzed mind and he bolted upright in bed, turning to stare at Harry with an angry look, although the emotion wasn't directed at the teenager. "What do you mean, 'no longer any reason'? Nobody else in your wretched family is up right now, so why were you?"

Harry remained silent for several moments, until he realized that Severus wasn't going to let him sleep until he received a satisfactory answer. Sighing, he slid the covers off his head and stared up at his lover.

"The Dursleys hate magic, as you well know, and never let me do my homework. In order to get any of it done, even half-assed, I went to bed late and rose early, doing my homework after they went to bed, sleeping for a few hours, then doing more homework before I had to start breakfast at six. I'm used to getting about four hours of sleep or less in the summertime. And now that I'm up, I can't go back to sleep," he complained.

Severus grinned wickedly, leaning down to nibble along Harry's collarbone, whispering seductively in his ear, "Then we'll just have to tire ourselves out, won't we?"

Harry shivered and moaned in delight when Severus' comforting weight settled on top of him. Severus continued to nip and lick along his lover's collarbone and jaw, ending at his lips, which eagerly parted, allowing Severus to ravage the young body beneath him.

Harry's sighs and mewls, slight gasps of surprise and moans of pleasure, spurred Severus on until they were both undressed, sleep-warm skin sliding smoothly together in a dance as old as time itself.

The coupling that morning was fast-paced and passionate, intended to wear the participants out and to show the strength of the bond that connected them. Sated, they lay side by side afterwards, cuddling — an activity in which Harry had delighted in after discovering that Severus wasn't averse to it.

Harry smiled sleepily up at his mate and murmured, "Thank you, Sev. And thank Merlin for magic." Severus nodded in whole-hearted agreement as he cleaned them off and both men snuggled under the covers, fully intent on getting several more hours of sleep.

Unfortunately, it was not to be. Harry and Severus were awoken rather abruptly due to a loud thumping that caused the entire floor to shake. Harry groaned, nothing that it was only seven in the morning. They hadn't gotten more than two hours of sleep since their earlier activities.

Severus lifted an inquiring eyebrow and Harry grimaced. "Dudley," was all he said, but Severus understood the words that had been left unsaid. Harry's spoiled, obese, bullying cousin was awake and could care less that other people were still trying to sleep.

Sure enough, a yell sounded right outside their door, and Severus cursed himself for not putting up a two-way silencing charm yesterday. "Mum! Dad! The freak hasn't cooked my breakfast, and I'm starving!" Severus could hear the malicious glee in his voice. Looking at Harry, who was scowling at the door, he realized that the young Dursley was trying to get Harry punished, and it was only his first full day back, too.

Judging by Harry's lack of a verbal response, Severus gathered that this wasn't a rare occurrence and grimaced in distaste. "Isn't he supposed to be your age?"

Harry turned to him and nodded, then grinned, his face relaxing. Adopting a teasing tone, he said, "And to think that you used to call _me_ an insufferable, spoiled brat. Aren't you glad it was me, and not him, now?" Severus grimaced again, but was forced to concede — not out loud, of course—that Harry had made a valid point. Even without a verbal response, Harry smirked at him, knowing he had won that round.

Their attention was diverted again as another voice — Petunia's, Severus guessed, as it sounded female — screeched at Harry. "Boy! Get your lazy self up and fix poor Dudders some breakfast, before he starves!"

Severus snorted with barely contained laughter. Dudders? He almost pitied the boy, having to live with a nickname like that — almost.

Quickly, Harry gestured and the charms went down so his aunt could hear him. "Yes, Aunt Petunia. I'll start breakfast right away. I'm sorry, Aunt Petunia." Severus stared at the young man incredulously, but Harry just grinned at him and moved over to his trunk, where he still kept a few things for safekeeping.

Pulling out a box, he held it up for Severus to see, explaining, "I helped them start their business, so when they come out with new products, I get a free sample."

There, displayed prominently on the lid of the box, were the words: 'Weasleys Wizard Wheezes.' There was more writing below that, but Severus didn't bother to read it. He knew what they were, and who had made them. Well, it appeared that those Weasley twins weren't so worthless after all. He'd have to find a way to thank them.

Harry brought the box over to the bed, and he and Severus quickly pulled some pranks out of the box before leaving the room. Dudley was standing right outside the door, but his eyes widened when he saw Severus. "Mum! Mum! There's another freak in our house! He was in the freak's room, mum!" He bolted down the hallway, hands clasped firmly to his backside, still yelling for Aunt Petunia.

Harry laughed outright at Dudley's reactions, but muffled it in his hand as he led the way to the kitchen. Once there, he quickly got out eggs, bacon, toast, sausage, and kippers and lit up the stove. As he cooked, he explained the cause of Dudley's sudden fear, and his reaction to Severus' appearance in the house. By the time he was done, Severus' eyes were glittering with barely suppressed mirth, and Harry could practically see the man's opinion of Hagrid rise.

The Potions Master appeared to take a particular interest in how Harry cooked the food, and commented that it smelled delicious if nothing else. Harry just grinned and offered him some of the food, which Severus hesitantly tasted, before grinning and finishing off an entire plate.

Glaring at Harry, Severus demanded to know why he hadn't done better in potions. It was obvious that he could mix ingredients well enough to get acceptable results. Harry retorted that Severus' own blindness to the Slytherins and his constant harassing of Gryffindors, Harry and Neville in particular, probably had something to do with it. Severus was quiet after that, thinking.

About fifteen minutes later, Petunia Dursley walked into the room, biting her lip as she looked at Severus. "E-excu-cuse me," she spoke shrilly, "but what are you doing in our house, frightening my poor Dudders?"

Severus stood up, glaring at her and spoke in a vitriolic tone. "Mrs. Dursley, I presume?" When the horse-faced woman nodded, lips pursed, he continued. "We are not frightening your son. He did that himself when he saw me. And we are not house-elves. Harry here is not your servant, and you have no right to treat him as such."

"I do not give a damn what happened before this summer—I've already heard it all, but I'm telling you right now. It will not continue. If I were you, I'd recommend thanking your nephew for fixing you and your son breakfast, and then I'd talk to your husband and find out why it was not mentioned that I would be here for the rest of the summer holidays, and that within a week you will have another three wizards living here."

Petunia Dursley opened her mouth and screeched, "What do you mean, three more of you freaks. The boy is enough! I won't tolerate this. Get out of my house, freak. Now!" A loud bang distracted them before Severus could deliver a scathing insult. Turning around, they noticed that the frying pan had clattered to the floor, leaving hot grease everywhere. Also on the floor was a Jachyra, staring at Petunia and growling furiously.

Severus grinned. It was too late to stop Amarth now, and the whole family deserved to have a rampaging Jachyra on the loose. And rampage he did, tearing through the house, breaking everything he possibly could and a few things he shouldn't have been able to. He left only his and Severus' room unscathed. Petunia and Dudley cowered in the kitchen with Severus, perhaps hoping that the older wizard wouldn't let the magnificent beast attack them.

When he was done, Amarth padded sedately back into the kitchen and shifted back into Harry, staring at his aunt coldly. "I lived through hell here, Aunt Petunia," he spat viciously. "Now you can fix your own damned house. If you want me to do it, you're going to have to beg nicely, alongside your son and husband, and you're going to have to accept that wizards live here, and that we are capable of performing magic. It's not going away, so you'd best learn to deal with it."

With that, he stormed out of the room, performing a dramatic exit that made Severus proud as he followed him out of the kitchen and upstairs. He informed Harry of this when they reached the bedroom and Harry gave him a weak smile.

Once Severus was seated next to Harry, holding his younger lover, Harry spoke. "I'm sorry, Sev. I don't know what came over me. One moment she was insulting us, calling us freaks, and the next, I had completely flipped out. I didn't mean to break everything, but it was just too much. I'm sorry."

Severus just chuckled, earning a startled glance from Harry. "Don't worry about it, Harry. You did fine. You didn't hurt anyone, and you're right, they have to learn to accept this. They were the ones who wanted custody over you, so they've got it. Now they have to put up with all the extra security and problems that come with the Boy Who Lived."

Harry just grinned and snuggled up to Severus. He was right, they had to learn. He'd just have to be more careful, so that nobody got hurt. Besides, Dudley was about to have another run-in with magic, Weasley style — as if the Ton Tongue Toffee hadn't been enough to scar him for life. Yep, Harry thought, grinning, this summer just might be the best one he'd had yet.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the storyline and Amarth.**

**Author's Note: This chapter is kind of AU. You'll know why when you see it.**

**Chapter Three: Possibilities**

Harry sighed, straightening up from where he had been leaning against Severus' chest. He turned to Severus and admitted, "I guess I do need to work on my control a little, huh? I'm sorry, Sev, I didn't realize it would be this bad, and I have the feeling it's just going to get worse when I really have to face Uncle Vernon, since he's even worse than Aunt Petunia."

Severus looked at him steadily and nodded. "That is fine. We will try to work on your control, but first, you have some letters to attend to."

At this, Harry perked up and looked over to Hedwig's perch. Sure enough, she was settled there, waiting calmly for his attention, along with two other owls. He grinned, bounding off the bed and eagerly relieving the birds of their burdens. Severus fed them owl treats and water while Harry read the letters. One from the Malfoys, one from Remus, and one from the Ministry. He saved that one until last.

_Harry,_

_We just wanted to let you know that both my father and I will be arriving on Friday. We are aware that it is a few days early, but I have heard of your treatment from the Dursleys, and I want to see them for myself. Assuming that he's reading this, I am aware that Severus believes himself perfectly aware of taking care of you, but it can't hurt to have extra help, right?_

_Anyhow, we just thought you might appreciate a warning before we showed up. You know, to have time to let your relatives know and everything. It is all right, isn't it? If it's not, send a letter back with Archimedes. If we don't receive a negative reply, we'll see you Friday._

_Draco Malfoy_

Harry grinned as he read over the letter before passing it to Severus and turning to Remus' letter. His face fell as he read it, but then cheered up considerably as he reached the end. Severus looked at him questioningly, so he just handed the letter over silently.

_Harry,_

_First of all, I wish to apologize. I know that I had promised to arrive on Monday at the Dursleys, but I forgot that Sunday is the night of the full moon. As such, I will be in no condition to arrive on Monday. I should be able to get there on Wednesday, though._

_Speaking of the full moon, I wish I could see the Dursleys' faces the first time you transform. I'm betting it will be one of the funniest sights ever._

_Again, I'm sorry, but I will definitely be there by Wednesday, I promise._

_Your godfather,_

_Remus_

Harry waited until Severus was done before offering the Ministry letter to him. The raven-haired wizard just looked at him oddly, making him shift uncomfortably. "I'm not entirely sure I want to know what it says," he admitted quietly. Severus just nodded solemnly and opened the letter, skimming over it quickly. Even that took quite a while, since the letter was a good four pages long. Harry waited in tense anxiety for him to finish.

Blinking, Severus read it again, slower this time. He looked at Harry, a small smile on his face and asked, "Would you like to read it, or would you just like a summary?"

Harry opted for the summary and Severus nodded. "All right, let's see. Sirius has been declared innocent posthumous, and a public statement will go out tomorrow announcing the news to the entirety of the Wizarding world."

"That incompetent idiot Fudge is out of office, having failed to alert the public of the Dark Lord's return, and Arthur Weasley is one of the candidates for the next Minister. You will get a deciding vote if it's a close run between candidates. You, Mr. Potter, have been declared the hero of the Wizarding world, once again, and you can expect the gifts and ministry 'compensation' to begin arriving shortly."

"The Ministry cannot do anything about the judgment concerning you and the Dursleys for this summer, but with the start of the school year, new guardianship will be offered to you, and you may choose who you would like for the position. And lastly, Tom Riddle has been placed in a Muggle prison, and his cellmates already don't like him."

Harry smirked at this last bit of information. It didn't surprise him that the former Dark Lord's cellmates didn't like him. Riddle's life was going to be hell. Of course, he was probably slated for death row, but that wouldn't happen for a while yet. Not to mention that there was no need for it. Even if the stupid Death Eaters freed their Master, they wouldn't be able to restore his magic. No, it was more likely that one of them would try to take over and run the Death Eaters, setting himself up as the new Dark Lord.

He didn't realize he had voiced that last part out loud until Severus answered him. "I think you are correct, but I do not have any idea who might be able to take over. My first bet would have been Lucius, but since he's chosen his son over the Death Eaters, I highly doubt that he'll try and become the next dark lord. Of course, it could always be someone I haven't met before, either."

Harry looked at him, surprised, and Severus grinned wryly. "You can't possibly assume that any Death Eater knows the identity of all the others. We know only a handful, those we tend to work with closely. I knew more of them than most because I had to teach their children, but even I knew less than half of them."

Harry just nodded and sighed, closing his eyes wearily. "D'you think I'll have to go after another Dark Lord, Sev? I don't want to, I thought I was done after Voldemort, but now I'm not so sure."

Severus shrugged and stated bluntly, "I don't know, Harry, but if someone takes up the Dark Lord's mantle, you will likely wind up fighting them, whether you wish to or not. You're far too important to the wizarding world for them to ever leave you in peace. But this time, you'll have the help of your family and friends. If we're lucky, we can reveal the identity of any future Dark Lord long before they have a chance to construct any significant power base." Harry nodded and grinned, bouncing up off the bed.

"You're right, Sev," he declared. "We'll worry about it when, and if, it happens, and not before. For now, we'll just enjoy the relative peace and quiet. Speaking of enjoyment, do you want to go see what's happened to Dudley?"

Onyx eyes glinted with evil amusement as Severus slithered gracefully from the bed and moved towards the door. Opening it, they could hear what the silencing charms had blocked earlier. Dudley was crying and yelling, and Petunia was shrieking and sobbing about her 'poor ickle Duddykins'. Harry and Severus both clapped their hands over their ears, but grinned at each other nonetheless.

With a quick wave of his hand, Harry established silencing charms around themselves, and then uncovered his ears. Ah, blessed silence. He had targeted it so that only his aunt and cousin were blocked out. They could still hear everything else. Moving down the stairs, Harry nearly plowed into Severus as the older man froze, staring out into the living room.

Harry nudged him over slightly so that he could see as well. Upon seeing Dudley and Aunt Petunia, he froze as well, trying to take it all in. Dudley had nearly doubled in size, reminding Harry eerily of the time when he had blown up his Aunt Marge. He was an ugly chartreuse color, with brilliant neon pink hair. He had hooves for feet, and feathers were scattered everywhere.

Harry wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or be sick. He had forgotten just how quickly his cousin ate, so Dudley had eaten everything before even one prank item had taken effect. Stupid boy. Harry finally settled on laughter, and it burst from him, freezing Petunia and Dudley in their places. Beside him, Severus chuckled as well.

Moving down the stairs, Harry waited patiently for Severus to draw his wand, pointing it at the oversized Dudley, who squealed and tried to hide behind his mother. Harry rolled his eyes and sighed, "Look, Dudders, if you want to get back to normal, you either have to let Professor Snape here fix it, or you have to wait until they wear off. Some of those effects last a full week."

At this Aunt Petunia paled and glared hatefully at Harry, yelling soundlessly. Harry, however, knew exactly what she was saying. His aunt was threatening him with Uncle Vernon, telling him about the punishment he was going to receive as soon as the man got hold of him. Harry just rolled his eyes, not really concerned as long as he had a full-grown wizard to protect him. Not to mention that he could use magic of his own as well, without getting in trouble for it. And really, what were they going to do to him? Lock him in the cupboard, which he could escape from with a simple 'Alohomora'?

Finally, Severus grew fed up with the two muggles and stunned Aunt Petunia before turning to her son and fixing him. Well, mostly. His cousin still had his neon pink hair, and his skin was now a shimmering blue. Severus smirked and told the boy that it was merely a side effect of using a spell to counteract the potions he had ingested, and would wear off in about twelve hours.

With that, Harry left the destroyed living room and headed for the kitchen to fix some food for the both of them. Uncle Vernon wouldn't be home for another few hours yet, and by then Harry would be back in his room with Severus.

As he entered the kitchen, Harry waved haphazardly and fixed everything in the living room and kitchen. He'd fix the other rooms too, except for his relatives' bedrooms, of course. If they actually wanted to sleep in a bed tonight, they'd have to come to him and ask him or Severus to fix their rooms.

Severus followed him silently and helped as they prepared dinner for themselves. The Dursleys could manage just fine on their own. Besides, it wasn't like they'd ever trust either wizard anywhere near their food again, which suited them both perfectly. As they worked, Harry accused Severus, "That wasn't really a side effect of the twins' pranks, and you know it. You just like tormenting him, don't you?"

Severus shrugged and retorted, "I assure you, Mr. Potter, that I wish only to teach the young brat a lesson. I will not harm him overly much. Besides, he looks quite good in pink and blue."

Harry snickered at this before replying, "Dudley doesn't look good in anything, so I suppose that you can't make it any worse."

Severus just smirked at him and murmured, "Indeed." Harry grinned. First 'Mr. Potter', and now back to one-word answers. The greasy git Snape was trying to make a comeback. Such a pity he couldn't manage it around Harry anymore. Not really.

Once the heavenly aromas of dinner filled the kitchen, Harry and Severus gathered up their plates and left the room, the prepared food floating behind them. They saw no signs of Dudley or Petunia the entire time, and Vernon wasn't back yet, so they didn't worry. They conversed over dinner about many things, some of them inconsequential, while others, like the possibility of retrieving Sirius from behind the Veil, were very serious indeed.

"I know how to do it. Tom did it once, several years ago. He brought Bellatrix Lestrange back from beyond the Veil, and she's still alive and kicking. I am powerful enough to do it, so why can't I?"

Severus sighed and replied, "Harry, as much as you love your godfather, bringing him back may do more harm than good. He's dead, Harry, and it's never a good idea to disturb the rest of those who have died, even from beyond the Veil."

Harry shook his head stubbornly. "You're wrong. He's not dead. He's still there. My instincts are telling me this. He's trapped between life and death, but he is not dead. If he were truly dead, then you are right, and I would not disturb him. But right now, he's just trapped in limbo. We have to give him a way out. If he gives up, he'll truly enter the land of the Dead. If we can open up the gate, he can choose life instead. Please, Severus, please," he begged, pain and hope shining clearly in his eyes.

Severus sighed, but nodded as he gave in. "Very well, Harry. When the others arrive, one of us will make a visit to the Ministry and try to gain permission for you to try whatever it is you're planning on trying, all right?"

Harry smiled brightly and launched himself at his lover, wrapping his arms tightly around him. "Thank you, Sev. Thank you so much. This means the world to me."

Severus just nodded, staring down at the boy wrapped around him. He hoped that he wasn't making a mistake by yielding to his mate's demand. Severus prayed fervently that he hadn't just destroyed their lives.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

**Chapter Four: Welcome Guests**

Harry was anxious, and it was only due to Severus' calming influence that he was able to sit still for even a short while before rising and beginning to pace. It was Friday already, and the Malfoys would be arriving shortly. Harry couldn't wait for them to meet his relatives. Lucius would enjoy himself immensely, Harry was sure. Draco, on the other hand, was a match for Dudley when he chose to be.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Harry frowned, looking at Severus, who looked out the window. "It's them, Harry. They must have used a portkey to get here." Harry nodded and grinned, bolting to the front door and opening it to allow the Malfoys to enter the house.

Draco was the first one in, grinning at Harry and looking around the house. Harry chuckled and greeted his bond-brother, "Hullo, Draco. Welcome to the Dursleys' humble abode." In that one statement, he made it clear that he did not consider this place a home of any sort, and Draco shot him a knowing, sympathetic look.

Lucius stepped elegantly into the house after his son and glanced around, taking in the simple, but clean furnishings. Of course, the only reason it was clean and in such good condition was because of years of Harry's hard work in keeping it that way.

Harry waited tensely for the elder Malfoy's judgment, but the silver-eyed man just gazed around before his eyes came to rest steadily on Harry. Inclining his head in acknowledgment tinged with respect, Lucius said only, "I thank you for the joint invitation. Do you have a room for us?"

Harry nodded and gestured for the two guests to follow him upstairs. He led them straight to Dudley's bedroom, which had been converted just that morning, after the Dursleys had left for the day, leaving him a list of chores, but not disturbing him.

The room was set up much like his and Severus', but with a few key differences. The bookshelves were still there, but there weren't any shelves for potions. The walls were bare. The room had been increased on the inside as well, so that it was three times larger than the outside indicated. The bed had verdant sheets and silver hangings.

Harry gestured to the room. "We just did a general set up. You are welcome to change the room in whatever manner you see fit. This was Dudley's room as of this morning, so don't be surprised if he throws a temper tantrum when he gets back and finds out that he's been relegated to the guest room. Well, at least until Remus arrives, that is," Harry smirked. Draco snickered at his side, and Harry grinned at him, shrugging. "What? When you see him, you'll agree with me. He's more spoiled than you are, I think."

Draco wasn't entirely certain whether or not he'd just been insulted, so he just frowned at Harry. The raven-haired boy said simply, "It wasn't an insult to you, and you'll understand when you see Dudley this evening. He could certainly do with being deprived for a while."

Lucius, who had been silent until now, shuddered and asked in utter revulsion, "I assume that this is your cousin, Mr. Potter?" He was looking at one of the pictures on the wall.

Harry looked at it and grinned. "Yes, sir, that's him…three years ago." Lucius looked at him in unbridled horror, as did Draco when he saw the picture.

The elder Malfoy nodded, still quite obviously disgusted, "Indeed, Mr. Potter. I rather think I agree with you." He looked Harry up and down, and the emerald-eyed wizard ducked his head down slightly. He knew that Lucius was comparing the photo of Dudley with his thin, waif-like form.

Harry just shook his head and said, "Call me Harry, please, Mr. Malfoy. You're a guest in my home, and I don't think there's any cause for formalities."

Lucius nodded and replied, "Very well, Harry. And I'd prefer it if you'd call me Lucius in return." Harry nodded, grinning, then excused himself, giving the new arrivals time to unpack while he prepared some dinner for all of them.

After their two guests had finished unpacking, they wandered down into the kitchen, where they saw Harry standing over the stove, stirring something that smelled suspiciously like pasta. Severus was cutting up vegetables and putting them into a bowl for a salad. They worked silently but comfortably together, and managed to easily avoid getting in each other's way, despite the small size of the kitchen.

Ten minutes later, all four wizards were sitting down to dinner. Draco seemed surprised when he tasted the pasta and declared it to be as good as at Hogwarts. Lucius asked Harry where he had learned to cook, so Harry explained to him about the Dursleys and how he had cooked breakfast for them since he was about six, and dinner as well, starting at the age of eight.

Lucius just nodded in understanding and went back to his food, for which Harry was grateful. The man hadn't shown any pity, and Harry was relieved. Here was someone that he could talk to, and who wouldn't treat him any differently because of his treatment at the hands of his relatives.

Severus used to be like that, Harry remembered. Until they had mated, of course. Now the older wizard was a bit biased when it came to him and his treatment from others. Not that Harry minded; he liked feeling possessed and cared for, and it being Severus who chose to protect him only made it better.

After lunch, they all retired to the living room to talk. Harry noticed that Severus was watching Lucius Malfoy rather closely, and realized that he wasn't entirely certain that the man was trustworthy. If Lucius was aware of his scrutiny — which, being an ex-Death Eater, he probably was — he hid it remarkably well, giving no indication that the intense gaze made him nervous or bothered him in any way.

Harry smiled to himself. It felt unbelievably good to know that Severus cared so much for him and was paranoid about his safety, but had enough control to avoid confronting them directly and possibly driving them away. At least he knew that Severus trusted Remus, for the most part. Any lack of trust that remained between them was due mostly to Sirius' prank at the end of their sixth year, when Harry's godfather had sent Severus to the Shrieking Shack on the night of a full moon, and only James Potter's interference had saved him.

He came out of his daze and realized that people were staring at him expectantly. Ducking his head and flushing, he stuttered, "Er…what? I didn't hear the question."

Severus just gave him a look that clearly told him he was stating the obvious, not to mention that his articulation could use some serious improvement. Lucius, on the other hand, just smirked and repeated the question. "We were simply wondering about what you and Mr. Lupin are planning to do on the nights of the full moon. There's one this weekend, I believe."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, on Sunday. That's why Remus isn't coming until later. I'll just stay in my room that night, with Severus. I should be okay. The Jachyra takes over on those nights, but it will recognize Severus as one of my bonded and will not harm him. The same goes with your son."

Lucius just nodded, not asking the obvious follow-up question. "I am sorry, sir. I cannot guarantee your safety when Amarth takes control, but I rather suspect he won't harm you, since you're the father of one of my bonded. As long as you don't hurt Sev, Draco, or Remus, Amarth shouldn't have any reason to attack you." Lucius nodded easily, accepting the answer.

Suddenly, Harry froze, his eyes widening slightly in panic as he rose from the couch and moved so that he was facing the front door. Quickly, Severus moved behind him, whispering in his ear. After a few moments, Harry visibly calmed down and regained control of his emotions like Severus had taught him to.

Just then, the door burst open and Vernon came crashing into the house, yelling at the top of his lungs. "Boy! You had better not have any more of your freak friends here. I warned you last time that I wouldn't tolerate even a hint of disobedience from you this summer."

Harry bit his lip and replied, "I'm sorry, sir, but I told you that three more of my friends were coming, two of them today and one sometime next week, on Tuesday or Wednesday."

Vernon came charging into the living room and, before anyone could react, slammed his great meaty fist into Harry's stomach. The boy doubled over coughing, but stayed on his feet until Vernon's other fist caught him upside the head and he dropped like a stone.

He aimed for a kick to the boy's ribs, but before he could do it, three enraged voices cried out, "Stupefy!" and he was slammed backwards into the wall, where he slumped to the floor, unconscious. Severus bent down and lifted Harry, heading for their bedroom. Lucius and Draco, still in shock, followed them. They watched as Severus tucked Harry in after checking him thoroughly for bruises and bumps on his head. Severus' gestures were gentle, and both men knew then that he cared a great deal for the teenaged orphan.

After ensuring that Harry was comfortable and in no immediate danger, Severus Snape turned around, his eyes blazing in fury. The two aristocrats flinched, knowing that Mr. Dursley was in a hell of a lot of trouble. Lucius murmured to his son, "Draco. I want you to stay here with Harry and make sure he's all right when he wakes up, all right?" Draco just nodded and moved to the bed, lying down beside the other boy, who instinctively snuggled into him, seeking comfort.

Satisfied that both boys would remain in the room, Severus and Lucius went to see to Mr. Dursley. Lucius already had a look of intense dislike on his face, and Severus raised his eyebrows in inquiry. "I may have wanted that child dead for being the Dark Lord's enemy, but I would never abuse my own flesh and blood, and especially not in front of other people," he hissed vehemently, and Severus' surprise must have shown, because Lucius was momentarily sidetracked.

"Surely you did not believe that I had ever abused my only son and heir, either mentally or physically. I was all for letting him decide whether or not he wanted the Dark Mark as well, but now that point is rather moot, wouldn't you say?"

Severus opened his mouth to reply, but a shriek interrupted him and they both flinched at the high-pitched noise. "Vernon! Vernon! What happened? Did that worthless freak hurt you, Vernon? Dudders, go get Mummy some ice, would you? And stay away from that freak's room." Severus snarled, and Lucius understood his old friend quite clearly, since he was thinking the same thing. Freak? Had she already forgotten about Severus? Or that two more wizards would be arriving today?

No wonder the boy craved affection and wanted to prove that he was worthy of the praise he had been given, while at the same time loathing the attention. These muggles obviously didn't love him, and barely tolerated him, having always told him he was worthless. He didn't like attention because the only attention he ever got in this household was when he was being abused.

Lucius had always wondered why Draco reported that he consistently remained at the school during all the holidays, and apparently had often asked the Headmaster to let him go anywhere else during the summer. Anywhere but back to this house, to his 'family'.

As they entered the living room, they saw a horse-faced woman leaning over Vernon, while a small whale stood beside the two adults and handed her a bag of ice, which she pressed to Vernon's forehead.

Lucius snorted in disbelief, garnering the attention of the two conscious people, as he turned to Severus and asked, "You're sure that this is Lily's sister?"

Severus nodded, smirking. "Absolutely certain. Hard to believe, isn't it?"

Petunia snarled at them, furious, and accused them, "You did this, didn't you? You did this to poor Vernon? This is why we don't tolerate any of your kind in this household. You cause us nothing but suffering, damn freaks!"

Lucius growled and threw a silencing charm over the stupid muggle woman. Turning to Dudley, he sneered and spoke softly, dangerously, "You, boy, have been relegated to the…'guest' bedroom. I'd suggest that you go there now, or else I'll turn you into something more deserving of your stature." When Dudley just stood there, looking at him dumbly, Lucius clarified, "I will turn you into a pig…or perhaps a beached whale."

At the mention of being turned into a pig, Dudley squealed like one and fled for the stairs, trying to cover his rear with his hands. Lucius looked at Severus, who grinned maliciously. "Hagrid tried turning him into a pig when they first met, but apparently the boy was so close to one already that he only gained a tail." Lucius' eyes widened in disbelief before he laughed, that silky, chilling laughter that he had perfected for those times when he tortured some innocent being.

Turning to Petunia, he looked down upon her, slipping easily into his superior aristocratic personality. "Mrs. Dursley," he began in cold tones, his eyes icy and filled with loathing, "as Lily Evans' sister, I am sure you are aware of who the Malfoys are." Petunia paled slightly — she indeed remembered the stories her sister had told the family about the arrogant, Slytherin, dark Malfoy family.

Malfoy, seeing that she was starting to realize what she had just done, and who she had just insulted, continued. "I am sure you have also heard of the Snapes, which would include Severus here."

At this, Petunia swung her gaze over to Severus and asked softly, "You're Severus Snape? The one that Lily befriended, but James hated?"

Severus just nodded silently, his face impassive, and Lucius continued where he left off. "And I'm positive that your sister spoke to you about Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters? Am I correct?"

Lucius didn't need Petunia's nod of affirmation to know that she had heard of them. "Very good. That makes my job a lot easier. Both Severus and I here are former Death Eaters. The Dark Lord has been destroyed once and for all by your nephew, and we have…entered into the young man's service. However, despite the fact that the Death Eaters have been disbanded, we are still capable of the darkest type of magic you can imagine, and then some. And we will not tolerate a threat to any of us. I don't imagine the werewolf would tolerate this abuse either."

"Now, your…husband," he finished, wrinkling his nose in distaste, "hit young Mr. Potter, which he has no right to do. That boy is more powerful than anyone else in this house. After all, he defeated the Dark Lord for more than a decade when he was only one year old, and now he's defeated him once and for all, and he's not even out of school yet. Abusing him in any way, shape, or form will not be tolerated. The same goes for my son. You will learn respect on your own, or I will use other 'methods' to brand the respect into you. Do I make myself clear?"

Petunia just nodded silently, looking like she was ready to either pass out or be sick at any moment. Satisfied, Lucius turned with a flare and headed back up the stairs towards the two younger wizards. Severus shot Petunia a last deadly glare and followed his friend up the stairs.

As soon as they walked into the room, Severus went over to the cabinet and pulled out a potion, muttering to himself about stupid muggles and an incompetent ministry among other things. Lifting Harry's head carefully, he rubbed the potion gently into the bruise that was beginning to show. Draco asked why he hadn't put it on before leaving, and Severus responded that it wouldn't have worked without the bruise showing. He then lifted off Harry's shirt with Draco's help and winced as the two Malfoy's gasped.

Apparently, not even Draco had seen the boy's scars. They were everywhere, a painful reminder of all that he had suffered through during his life. As tenderly as possible, Severus probed at Harry's stomach, continuing to search until he heard a light whimper. Pausing, he pressed on that area again, gently, and received another whimper. Placing his hands over the affected area, Severus called forward the healing energy that Harry had taught him to use and sent it into the boy, healing the tender area. As the area was soothed, Harry relaxed again and smiled softly as his eyes flickered open.

"Hey, Sev. What happened?" Severus smiled and told him what had happened — leaving out Lucius' threat to his aunt and cousin. It was only when he was done talking to Harry that Severus noticed that he was being stared at.

Turning his head, he met Lucius' shocked face, although the blonde man hid it very well. "I wasn't aware that you were capable of wandless magic, Severus. You certainly never showed it before."

Severus shrugged. "Of course not. I wasn't capable of it until just recently, when Harry and I mated in a bid to ground him. Even then, he gained more power than I did and had to teach me to use what I did gain. Well, the healing and such. General spells I can do on my own without guidance." Lucius nodded, staring at Harry intently until the boy finally sighed and asked him what it was that he wanted.

Lucius shrugged and said simply, "If you're so powerful, why didn't you fight your uncle when he hit you? You're a wizard, able to use magic, even underage, and he's nothing but a filthy muggle. Why didn't you fight back?"

Harry visibly stopped himself from an angry retort and actually thought about his question for a minute. Finally, he sighed, "I wasn't able to use magic over the summer until now. And I didn't even know I was a wizard until Hagrid came to pick me up when I was eleven. Before that, I had been told that my father was a lazy, jobless good-for-nothing slob, and my mother was a whore, and that they had both died in a car crash. Now, when I see Uncle Vernon, using magic against him is the last thing in my mind. I've put up with the occasional beatings and constant verbal abuse from him for so long that it's instinct to not use my magic."

Lucius frowned as he contemplated Harry's words. Occasional beatings? He wondered what constituted occasional in Harry's mind. Once a day? A week? A month? Looking at Severus, he watched as the other man shrugged. He didn't know, either, although it was obvious that he was aware of the attacks on Potter. Damn that muggle! It was beasts like these that made Lucius believe that perhaps the Dark Lord had been right and the muggles should be destroyed completely.

Harry, apparently reading something in their expressions, smiled grimly. "Usually, it's just a yank on my hair, or an occasional slap. Sometimes, he'll aim a kick at me, or my aunt will throw a pan at me, but that's about it. The only reason he struck out so forcefully this time is because he's panicking. He sold me out to Voldemort, and now there are three wizards here, protecting me. He feels he's been backed into a corner.

Lucius sighed and moved over to Harry, laying a hand gently on the startled boy's shoulder. Harry just stared up at him wide-eyed. "It'll be all right, Harry. Severus and I, and Lupin when he arrives, will do everything we can to ensure that your uncle does not touch you. After this summer, we will find a new place for you to live, all right?" Harry looked at him searchingly, and Lucius let his mask drop completely for the first time in years, allowing Harry to see the human underneath the Death Eater.

Satisfied, Harry nodded and smiled up at him. "All right, Lucius. And thank you." Lucius just shook his head. There was no need to thank him. Not for this. Not ever for this.


	5. Chapter 5

**Warning: A bit of angst and abuse.**

**Chapter Five: Ambush**

"Father! Uncle Sev! For the last time, we will be fine on our own!" Draco was growing exasperated with the two older men. "We'll stay in this room, and even if we have to venture out for anything, we'll go together. If Harry forgets to use his magic, I can use mine. We'll be fine. Now would you two please go do whatever it is you're going to do at the Ministry and let us have some bonding time? Please!" Harry hid a grin behind his hand. The Malfoy heir was practically whining now.

Lucius leveled a glare at his impertinent son while Severus growled, "All right already. I can't help but worry about leaving you two alone with these stupid Muggles. Are you sure you can't wait until Lupin gets here?" he directed his question at Harry. Harry shook his head and let Severus see the anxiety in his expression. He had to get the Ministry's permission to bring Sirius back from beyond the Veil.

Lucius frowned. "Why are we both going again?"

Both teenagers rolled their eyes, but humored the tall blond nonetheless. "You're going with Severus because you have a great deal of influence in the Ministry, and Uncle Sev is going because he can scare the bloody hell out of anybody who tries to tell him that it's impossible," Draco explained patiently. Harry smirked as he watched Severus' glare increase in potency. He was almost giving Draco the undiluted Death Glare, but had stopped just shy.

Harry offered Severus a reassuring smile, carefully shielding his negative thoughts from the older man. It was Sunday, and Harry was unable to shift should he be attacked, and he'd be forced through a painful transformation that night. He was already exhausted both physically and mentally, lying awake most nights and just watching his lover sleep.

He knew that he should try and get more sleep, but it seemed that every time he closed his eyes, he saw and felt his uncle attacking him again. He'd wake up abruptly and his entire body would be aching, but there were no marks. He hadn't told Severus about this yet. He wanted to talk to Draco and see what he thought first.

When he had first arrived on Privet Drive, the dreams hadn't been so bad, just half-forgotten images that drifted through his subconscious mind as he slept, hazy figures wandering through the recesses of his memories. They hadn't really bothered him because they faded as soon as he began rising to consciousness. However, it had been getting steadily worse since Uncle Vernon had struck him in front of Severus and the Malfoys the other day in a sudden fit of anger.

Realizing that he had gotten lost in his thoughts, he pulled his attention back to the present, hoping that his spacing out hadn't alarmed Severus and made him decide to stay. He really needed to talk to Draco, and he didn't want to risk being overheard by either his lover or Draco's father.

Fortunately, Draco held both men's attention, still assuring them that they'd be fine. Harry smirked. This wasn't going to get them anywhere. Muttering under his breath, he turned the men's cloaks into one-way portkeys, and they were yanked away from him. Draco looked at him, shocked, and Harry grinned. "They're on their way to the Ministry."

Slowly, comprehension dawned, and Draco asked, a bit awed, "You turned their cloaks into portkeys, didn't you? That's illegal, you know."

Harry shrugged, "Not if it's Jachyra magic and done wandlessly to boot. The Ministry isn't going to notice. Only the four of us know, and I doubt we'll be telling those morons anything soon." Actually, now that the Ministry would likely be run by more competent people, he'd have to revise his opinion, but for now, it was still a bit chaotic, and it was a wonder anything got done.

Draco agreed wholeheartedly as they set themselves on the bed, discussing the political debates that were going on in the Ministry. Apparently, the two main competitors were Arthur Weasley and Amos Diggory, Cedric's father. They moved from there to talking about Voldemort's rebirth at the end of the Triwizard Tournament. Draco had actually been most impressed with Harry's first task, getting the egg from the most dangerous of the four dragons. He asked Harry to teach him some of his Quidditch moves, and Harry agreed willingly, despite the fact that Draco would most likely use those same moves against him on the Quidditch pitch.

Finally, Harry got around to talking about what he wanted to, and explained his dreams to Draco. To his surprise, the blonde boy paled and stared at him, cursing, "Bloody hell, Harry! You should've told Sev about them when they first started happening." Harry frowned at the other boy, not sure why he was reacting in such a way.

Draco told him, "I might be wrong, since it's muggles in your dream, and they might really just be nightmares, but then again, they might be Dark Magic as well. It's a curse that works somewhat like the Dementors when you sleep, bringing up your worst fears and displaying them as nightmares. However, the pain or illness always remains the next morning. The curse gradually gains power and then the injuries start to show. I know there's a way to stop it, but I don't know how to do it myself," he admitted

Harry frowned, thinking about what Draco had said. His bond-brother's explanation made sense, and if what he was saying was true, then he would start showing fresh bruises and cuts very soon. Glancing at Draco, he asked, "Is there any way we can make sure that it really is a curse, and not just very realistic nightmares caused by my close proximity to the Dursleys?"

Draco nodded. "One of your family members will have a trigger item somewhere on them. They don't even have to know it's there for it to work. The spell needs a catalyst, and the best place to put such a thing would be on or around whatever the victim is most afraid of."

Harry paled. "You're talking about Uncle Vernon, aren't you? He'd have the trigger somewhere on or near him." If that was true, and his uncle wore the trigger, then Harry would have a very difficult time taking it back from the obstinate, perpetually furious man. Come to think of it…

"Is it possible that the trigger, whatever it is, is causing Vernon's horrible mood? I mean, he's always been angry and all too willing to curse at me, or cuff me," he explained carefully, "but he's rarely ever attacked me like he did the day you and Lucius arrived." He was embarrassed to admit even that much to Draco, but he needed to know, because if it _was _the cursed item causing Dursley's foul mood, then there was no telling what he'd do the next time he found himself in a position to lash out at Harry without fearing dire repercussion.

Draco nodded in response to both his questions, and Harry licked his lips nervously. "All right, tracking him unseen isn't a problem, we'll just use my father's invisibility cloak, but what does the trigger look like?"

Draco shrugged, "Dunno. It changes depending on the caster. The only consistent characteristic is that the trigger is usually a small trinket or something that most people wouldn't notice, even the bearer of the item. Unless, of course, the bearer has agreed to it." Both boys sneered, knowing full well that Vernon wouldn't have a problem agreeing to something like this if he was approached. He hated Harry. Of course, he hated magic too, but that hadn't stopped him from dealing with wizards, the bloody fool.

Harry sighed and glanced at the clock. "Well, we have time before they get back, and I'm hungry anyhow. Should we just do it now, while Uncle Vernon's probably watching the television? That way we can see if it's there while he's not paying attention, and then we can get some food to bring back up here." Draco nodded, and Harry quickly dug the invisibility cloak out from his trunk.

Slipping under the cloak, Harry and Draco left the room, checking to make sure that no one was moving around in the hallway or on the stairs. Convinced that they wouldn't run into anyone going down the stairs, the two bond-brothers moved quietly, with Harry warning Draco about the steps that creaked and would give them away.

Once down the stairs, the two boys slid silently into the living room. Sure enough, there was Vernon, watching the television and drinking…"Bloody hell. Is that beer? We had better be very careful. He's even worse when he's drunk," Harry scowled—with his inhibitions lowered, Vernon was far more likely to strike him than when he was sober. If he was drunk enough, he might even be inclined to forget that there were three other wizards besides Harry in this household.

Draco swallowed nervously beside him, and both boys crept slowly up behind the Muggle inhabiting the couch.

Once there, they shared a last, reassuring glance, and began searching with their eyes for anything out of place. Both of them being seekers, they were used to hunting for small, difficult to see items, and this time was no exception. On Vernon's fat wrist was a watch. The watch itself was old and nothing special, but Harry noted that it had three dials on the side rather than two. That was one more than the last time he had checked.

Grimacing, Harry motioned for Draco to move with him into the kitchen. Once they were there, Harry moved over to the fridge and started gathering food to bring upstairs, and told Draco what he had seen. The Slytherin agreed that the extra dial was most likely the trigger item, and they began debating how best to remove it. Finally, they decided to just tell the adults, leaving out the fact that Vernon probably knew exactly what it was and what it would do, and let them handle it.

As they headed back upstairs, they were brought to a sudden halt as Vernon stepped into the kitchen. Cursing at himself in his mind, Harry turned to give Draco a questioning glance. The blond teenager just shook his head, indicating that he, too, had forgotten his wand, abnormal for a Slytherin who also happened to be a Malfoy. Harry grimaced and held his breath, careful not to move or make any noise. Draco did the same beside him.

Vernon walked casually to the fridge, opening it and pulling out another beer, then began to lumber back out to the living room. They were almost in the clear, when suddenly Vernon turned his head and lashed out, connecting with Harry's nose and sending blood everywhere. Draco stared wide-eyed at the brutality, not moving. Harry cursed and pushed Draco away, sending the cloak along with him. He just hoped that the other boy used this opportunity to get his wand from upstairs to help him.

Vernon just grinned at him maliciously, setting his face only inches from Harry's, his acrid breath smelling strongly of alcohol and leaving Harry feeling a bit lightheaded. "Did you really think you could dodge me forever, boy? I knew those freak friends of yours would be leaving today, and your other freak friend won't be here until Tuesday. You'll be dead before any of them arrive here to help you."

As Vernon's fist crashed down on his head, Harry realized dazedly that his uncle had thought that all of his friends had gone, Draco included. If that was the case, then he still had a chance, but he couldn't call out to Draco. He just had to hope that the other boy figured it out quickly, before he really did die.

Harry curled up into a ball, protecting his most vital organs. He had never seen Vernon so violent, and could only pray that it was the result of the trigger dial, and that it's removal would jolt him out of this seemingly homicidal mind frame.

After a few minutes, although it seemed like much longer, the force of the blows lessened and became less frequent, but there were still enough of them that Harry didn't look up from his position on the floor. He had never suffered a beating quite this bad before, but had witnessed others suffer it at the hands of Voldemort's Death Eaters, so he knew what to protect, even as he cried out and pleaded with his uncle to stop, hoping to bring the man back to his senses. Where the hell was Draco!

The beating had slowed, and Harry could hear his uncle panting from the exertion. Perhaps he had finally exhausted his energy, and Harry would be able to escape?

Cracking his eyes open, Harry watched as Vernon lumbered over to the kitchen counter, noting vaguely that the watch was glowing a violent purple, with flecks of black shooting through it. It was obvious that his uncle was no longer sane as he pulled a long, sharp knife from one of the drawers.

Feebly, Harry tried to push himself to his feet, the fear and adrenalin coursing through him increasing his efforts. He was concentrating so hard on just getting to his feet that the first stab of the knife into his shoulder caught him completely by surprise, and he collapsed back to the ground with a hoarse shout, the slashing blade following him down and cutting through his clothes and flesh.

Whimpering, Harry tried weakly to bat the other man's hand away, but he had already lost too much blood, and he might be suffering a concussion on top of that. Closing his eyes, he curled into a tight ball, apologizing to Severus in his mind. 'I'm so sorry, Sev. I should've listened to you.'

Suddenly, images of Severus flooded his mind, memories from their first night together. The love given and the pleasure shared between them that night was the best memory of his life. And now he was just going to let this man take that from him! Snarling, Harry tensed and coiled his magic deep within him, then unleashed it, targeting his uncle. There was a scream of pain behind him and Harry whirled around, ignoring his body's screaming, to see Vernon curled up in a ball in the corner.

Harry wondered briefly what exactly he had done to the man, but then again, he really wasn't sure he wanted to know. He started when he felt cloth sliding over him and glanced to his side to see Draco, wand pointed at Vernon.

Glancing at Harry, Draco shrugged. "I wouldn't have let him kill you, Harry, but I had to see if you could get over your fear and fight back. Not only did you fight back, but you've probably ensured that he'll never even think of swinging at you again."

Harry puzzled over that for a few seconds, before his face adopted a green tinge. Are you telling me that I…I…I hurt him that badly!" he hissed, his whisper nearly a scream.

Draco nodded, his face a bit green as well. "Yeah, let's get that watch and go back upstairs before Uncle Sev and Father get here, shall we?" Harry nodded and they moved over to the man still lying curled in the corner of the kitchen, unconscious from pain and blood loss.

Harry noted vaguely that the injuries on the other man corresponded with his own, but that there were other wounds as well, which he guessed were all the injuries he had ever received. There was even sharp puncture in Vernon's arm that appeared to match the injury Harry had received from the Basilisk in his second year. There was only one injury that he couldn't place, and he realized belatedly that he had castrated his uncle.

Shuddering, Harry didn't spare any more time to think on _why _he had done what he did, but murmured under his breath and stopped the bleeding, not bothering to heal anything else. Besides, it wasn't like he could replace what was lost. Careful to not look at the bloody mess, Harry moved Vernon's arm and pulled the watch off.

As silently as possible, they fled back up the stairs, barricading themselves in their room. They were only glad that Petunia had decided to take her darling Duddykins shopping that day, or else things would have been even worse.

Seeing the food, they decided they weren't hungry and moved it over to one of the empty shelves before sitting on the bed, holding each other. Harry needed the comfort, to be reassured that he wasn't evil, and that Vernon had deserved what he got for beating and attempting to kill him, even if it hadn't been entirely his fault. Draco had explained to Harry that the spell would only exacerbate what was already there, and since Vernon hated the boy with unbridled passion, it pushed him over the brink from enraged to homicidal.

Draco, on the other hand, needed to know that his Harry was still there, and that him witnessing the boy's abuse wouldn't hurt their relationship.

Snuggled together, they quickly fell asleep, tearstained faces slowly relaxing from fear into rest. That is how the men found them when they returned.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: It is not mine, just the storyline and Amarth are.**

**Chapter Six: Storytime**

The first thing that Harry was aware of as he regained consciousness was a foul tasting liquid being poured in his mouth and a long finger stroking along his throat, making sure he swallowed the drink. After he had swallowed, Harry groaned and opened his eyes, closing them almost immediately as the bright light that flooded the bedroom hit his eyes. He heard slight shuffling followed by a soft click and a quiet, "Lumos."

Opening his eyes again, Harry smiled softly at Severus. "Hey, Sev. I hope I didn't bother you. I tried to close the bond." Dark onyx eyes looked at him in anger and hurt, and he flinched. "I'm sorry, Sev. I know you don't like it when I keep things with you, but you were busy at the Ministry, and I know they would have refused you if you didn't force them into it today. I didn't want to distract you."

Severus sighed, rubbing a potion gently onto Harry's face, smoothing away the bruises and light scratches. Some of the heavier bleeding would need healing potions, some of which Harry had already been fed. "It's all right for now, Harry. When you wake up again, though, you're going to have a lot of explaining to do. Now, drink this." Harry swallowed the Sleeping Draught obediently and was soon resting peacefully.

Sighing, Severus used the now open mind-link to call Draco, telling him to bring Lucius in as well. When the pair entered the room, Severus gestured for them to be seated while he curled up protectively around his lover. Turning to Draco, he demanded an explanation of what had happened.

Draco sighed. "When you two left, Harry and I started talking, about inconsequential things, mostly. I could tell, however, that Harry wanted to talk to me about something, but I also knew that if I pushed, he'd clam up again, so I just waited for him to start talking about what was bothering him." Severus nodded in understanding, while Lucius just looked interested. He hadn't known how Harry reacted to being pressured into talking, and he filed the information away for later consideration.

Draco continued. "He finally got around to it, and mentioned that he had been having dreams in which Vernon abused him physically. How he managed to avoid waking you up, he never said, but he would wake up hurting where he had been hit in his dream. I wondered if perhaps it was a curse, so we looked through some of the books that we have here."

"My suspicions proved correct, and we debated on who most likely had the trigger that gave Harry these nightmares. We knew that we had to get it soon, or else he'd actually start having physical evidence; bruises and broken bones, for example. Since we were also hungry, not having thought to get food before you two left, we decided that we'd be safe enough using Harry's invisibility cloak, as long as we were quiet."

"We made it downstairs safely, and Harry took a detour into the living room, where we looked over that beast he calls 'uncle'. It was Harry who noticed the trigger. Apparently, the muggle had on a wristwatch with three dials, when it was only supposed to have two. The third dial is the trigger. He had also noticed another spell surrounding it, which I was able to label as one that would take any strong emotions for a given subject and turn it into its extreme."

"This, of course," Draco continued self-deprecatingly, "was the central problem that we ran into—that big oaf hates Harry, and the spell made him homicidal, which is why he attacked Harry in front of us, without bothering to think of consequences," Draco sneered, still inwardly fuming at the stupid muggle.

"Figuring that we probably wouldn't be able to take it then, we headed for the kitchen to get some food. We had gotten the food to bring up to the room, but then that muggle walked in and grabbed an alcoholic drink out of the refrigerator. On the way out, he suddenly turned, as if he knew we were there, and punched Harry."

"Harry threw me away from him, along with the invisibility cloak. At first, I was too frozen to move as I watched that monster attack Harry. Then I felt him through the bond and realized that since the muggle didn't realize that I was there, I had a chance to reach my wand and knock him out of commission. We had both left our wands up here…yes, I know it was stupid, but we just weren't thinking. I offer no other excuses," Draco continued his explanation.

"Anyhow, I got back down and the muggle was preparing to kill Harry, attacking him with a large knife. I had raised my wand and was getting ready to attack, with what I'm not sure, but then I saw the determination and anger on his face. The bond opened up slightly and I realized that he was thinking of his first time with you, Uncle Sev. He wasn't about to let that filthy, stupid muggle tear away the memories you two had made, so he gathered up his power and released all of it on his 'uncle.'"

"When he rose, we approached Dursley, and took the watch from him. We also saw what Harry's magic had done, without him actually directing it, and I found it rather fitting myself. At least for him. I'd hate to have the same done to me," Draco shuddered.

Both Severus and Lucius made a noise of impatience and Draco shook his head, smirking. "I really don't think you two want to hear this."

Severus tensed, ready to grab his godson and strangle him, but Lucius beat him to it, growling, "Tell us what he did, Draco. I want so badly to get my hands on those muggles, to show them all what pain really is, to treat them like the filth they are."

Draco sighed and shifted in his seat before raising his eyes. He wanted to catch the reactions of the two men. "He returned all his injuries onto his uncle—and I mean _all _of them, even those caused while he was at Hogwarts—and castrated that fucking bastard in the process. I don't think that final bit was intentional, but some part of Harry must fear for any other children that bastard might beget."

He waited and watched as the words and their meaning finally sunk in, and laughed at the green tinge that appeared on their faces. Severus shuddered in revulsion and clutched Harry closer to him, while Lucius winced and shifted ever so slightly in his seat, making Draco laugh.

"Yeah, I know how you feel. I'm just glad that the magic was concentrated on Dursley. I'd hate to not be able to produce an heir because Harry couldn't control his magic."

Severus chuckled at this and looked directly at Draco, amusement visible in his dark eyes. "You needn't have worried about that, Draco. As a Jachyra bonded to us, he cannot harm us, even accidentally. You would've been perfectly safe."

Draco's mouth opened in surprise, then he pouted. "Damn. In that cuase, it's a pity that his magic didn't go out of control and that his idiot cousin wasn't here today, either."

Both men grinned maliciously. "Oh, don't worry, Draco. I think that at least one of the muggles has gotten what he deserves, and if we're lucky, it will…discourage the other two from trying to harm Harry in any way, shape or form."

Draco looked at his father and godfather and shuddered, seeing the evil gleam in both their eyes. He was just glad that he wasn't the enemy right now. He knew that he had been absolutely awful to Harry before they were bonded, but he'd never dream of beating the poor boy to within an inch of his life or of trying to kill him in such a crude manner as to use a knife. He preferred his insults and the occasional hex, and a simple, clean Avada Kedavra to kill off his opponents.

Sighing, Draco nodded at the two adults and murmured, "Just remember, you can't kill him, nor can you hit him with the Unforgivables, unless you want the Ministry to arrest you two and ship you off to Azkaban. I'll wait here with him in case he wakes up," the young Slytherin promised, taking Severus' spot on the bed and curling around him as Sev had done.

He held Harry firmly in his arms, comforting him even in his sleep, as he watched his father and Severus leave the room and head downstairs, no doubt planning on confronting Dursley, with perhaps a bit of torture thrown in as well. Sighing, he lay down on the bed and drifted off into a half-sleep, listening for anyone entering the room.

An hour and a half later, Severus and Lucius walked back into the room, their hair dripping wet. They had apparently decided that a shower was in order, and Draco felt his eyes widening. "What did you two do? Bleed him?" Lucius laughed at the look on his son's face.

"No. Well, not much, anyhow. We took a shower because just being in his presence made us feel dirty, never mind actually touching him," Lucius shuddered in revulsion and Draco smirked, moving off the bed so that Severus could lie next to his lover.

Draco looked to his father and begged, "C'mon, father, tell me what you two did to him. Please?" he pouted, using his Slytherin cunning to best advantage. Lucius caved, just like Draco had known he would. As his father sat down, Draco did so as well, waiting eagerly to hear what had happened.

They all startled when a chuckle sounded from over on the bed. Glancing over, they saw Harry Potter staring at Draco Malfoy, a grin on his face and laughter in his eyes. "You're very effective with that pout, you know."

Draco just smirked and shrugged, still quite obviously pleased with himself. Harry smirked right back at him, then turned to Lucius. "You were saying?" he asked politely.

Lucius visibly hesitated, unsure of whether or not to continue now that Harry was actually awake. Now it was Harry's turn, and he offered the elder Malfoy his own pout, letting his eyes do the pleading for him. Lucius' eyes widened, then he collapsed back into his chair with a groan of defeat. "You've been influenced by my son, haven't you?" he moaned, and Harry chuckled.

"Nope, I learned that on my own. I often used it against Hermione to get her to let me use her notes from class. She never could resist the hurt puppy dog look. Ron's no good at it, though, so I have to do it sometimes for him as well."

Draco outright laughed at this, saying, "The Weasel, not good at getting his girlfriend to give him her notes? What does that tell you about his…skills?"

Harry rolled his eyes and shot Draco the patented Death Glare, snarling, "I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you, ferret." Draco gulped and shut up, and now everyone's eyes were on him, questioning.

Severus said idly, "I'd heard rumors about that in fourth year, but I was never sure how much was true. Did Crouch really turn you into a ferret?"

Draco sulked, but nodded nonetheless. Lucius demanded an explanation, which Harry gleefully provided, watching in fascination as the Slytherin Prince flushed several shades of red as his mortification escalated. When Harry finished the short story, Lucius was chuckling and shaking his head. "Had I known about this in fourth year, I might have killed the bastard myself. However, he was one of the Death Eaters and that might have been difficult. It is quite funny to think about now, though."

After Draco had gotten over his embarrassment, he turned to his father expectantly. "All right, you heard my story, now tell us what you two did." Lucius sighed, hesitating once more, but both boys were already armed with their kicked puppy looks and he caved, telling them of Vernon's humiliation and mild torture. After all, it didn't really do to bleed a muggle who had already lost vast amounts of the precious, life-giving liquid unless they meant to kill him.

When they were done, all four wizards were chuckling or smirking in satisfaction at hearing of a job well done. Vernon hadn't been truly hurt, and nothing would show, but he wouldn't dare come near them again, unless he was suicidal. Harry frowned at this thought, and asked hesitantly, flushing in embarrassment, "Umm…I have a question. I…um…you know…to Uncle Vernon. I rather think that it will show."

Severus looked at him oddly, then turned to Draco. "You're positive that Harry here actually castrated that bully, and inflicted numerous wounds on him?" Draco nodded, looking puzzled and frowning. Severus shrugged and turned back to Harry. "I don't know exactly what happened, but when we went down, he was completely healed, at least as far as we could tell."

Draco stared, astonished, but Harry just nodded his head slowly, lost in thought. "Yes, that makes sense," he stated softly, so that everyone had to lean in to hear him. "I only wanted him to stop hurting me, I didn't want anything permanent to happen. My magic must have done exactly what I wished. I wonder if there'll be any side effects?" he mused idly.

Draco snorted, "Probably. I bet he won't even be able to think about touching you without suffering those injuries all over again. He'll learn real fast, then, don't you think?" Harry shrugged, "I'm sure we'll find out."

Just then, they heard the downstairs door open and shut. Apparently Petunia and Dudley had returned. They heard Petunia's high-pitched voice as she talked to Vernon, but no one came to bother them. Harry breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Severus. "All right, love. How did things go at the Ministry today?"

Severus grimaced. "You were right, Harry. They gave us both lots of trouble. The ministry workers either hated me, or Lucius, or both. We finally got them to agree by bullying our way to the Minister and then we dealt solely with him. He has agreed to allow you to attempt this spell, provided that Albus is there with us, as well as half a dozen Aurors, in case something should go wrong."

Harry snorted at that. In case something should go wrong, indeed. He knew that they all thought he was insane, and if this didn't work, they'd probably try and have him shipped off to St. Mungo's. Not to mention that they probably didn't trust Severus or either of the Malfoys, all three of which would be accompanying him. Remus Lupin, as well, depending on if he arrived before Harry was allowed into the Department of Mysteries.

He must have spoken this last thought out loud, because Severus answered, "You're allowed to try this next Saturday, which works well for us because Remus will be here and healthy to lend his support. We opted for the weekend, because we figure that the Dursleys might stay in then, and so we'll be the ones to leave." Harry nodded, content. In another six days, he'd be able to try and bring Sirius back.

Stretching, Harry was about to snuggle back down into Severus' warm body when a sharp pang shot through his spine and he bolted upright, cursing. Rolling quickly onto the floor, he screamed as his body defied all the laws of physics and shifted. Bones broke and shifted, melted and rebuilt themselves. Organs shifted around, some disappearing altogether only to be replaced by different ones, intended to help a Jachyra function. Ears shifted as fur sprouted and claws erupted from his fingers and fangs tore out of his gums.

When the transformation was complete, Amarth just lay there, shivering. He was already getting stronger, and the pain was fading, but he didn't feel like moving just yet. He hadn't realized just how late it was when he awoke.

When he finally gained the motivation to clamber to his feet, Amarth noticed that his two bonded, plus Lucius Malfoy, were staring at him, varying mixtures of horror, shock, and sympathy on their faces.

Draco was the first to move, reaching out to scratch Amarth behind his ears, causing him to purr loudly, the rumble filling the room as his tail thrashed in pleasure. Severus moved forward tentatively, and Amarth sent comfort and encouragement to him through the bond. He knew that Severus was remembering the Shrieking Shack and the werewolf that was contained within.

His purring increased in volume and tempo when Severus started petting him, eventually wrapping his arms around Amarth's neck, tangling his hand in the Jachyra's fur. Amarth nuzzled him in a gesture of encouragement, and then just waited for Lucius to join them. The elder Malfoy looked unsure, so Amarth sent a suggestion to Draco, who grinned and leapt to his feet.

Grabbing his father by the hand, Draco walked back over to Amarth and Severus. "Amarth, meet Lucius Malfoy, my father. Lucius, meet Amarth, my guardian Jachyra." Amarth purred up at the blond, and in return, Malfoy reached down and scratched him tentatively behind the ears, getting bolder when Amarth let his pleasure be known…loudly.

Eventually, it grew late and Amarth hopped up onto the bed, curling up and waiting for his mate to join him. Lucius and Draco said their goodnights and headed for their own room. Severus got dressed into his nightclothes and crawled under the covers beside Amarth, turning his back to the Jachyra. Amarth took the invitation and curled up behind his mate, protecting his back. He was pleased with his mate; he was acting properly submissive and letting Amarth protect him, which was his job.

Sighing in contentment, Amarth drifted off to sleep, one ear cocked for any threats that may come their way.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: S.O.S. (Same Old Stuff). I don't own anything but the storyline and Amarth.**

**Pairings: HP/SS, RL/SB, DM? (I'm not telling, and NO, it's not his father, ugh!)**

**Author's Note: I'm sorry, but this chapter is REALLY short, even by my standards. My apologies.**

**Chapter Seven: Remus**

The next couple of days passed peacefully. Harry and Draco never ventured downstairs without one of the adults, and the Dursleys were too cowed to do anything, Vernon especially. He scowled at Harry once, then winced and cried out in pain as blood blossomed through his clothing. Severus glanced at him and smirked, turning around and walking back out of the room with Harry before laughing. Apparently, Vernon's punishment was still effective as far as Harry was concerned. All three Slytherins got a perverted satisfaction out of the information.

There had been no more trouble with the watch, which had been sent off to Dumbledore at Hogwarts so that the remaining staff could figure out how it worked and neutralize it. Harry still had nightmares, but they weren't nearly so bad, and they caused him no physical discomfort, unless he hit the bedpost, of course.

And now it was Tuesday, and Harry found himself unable to stay still. Remus had written to them, confirming that he'd be arriving that afternoon, and now Harry was filled with eager anticipation. His third bonded was coming soon! He had missed him something terrible, and the extended period he was away, plus the tense air that surrounded the Dursley residence, had left him rather high-strung. Severus helped a little, especially at night when he kept them both occupied, but he needed his bonded.

Almost as if summoned by his thoughts, the doorbell rang and Harry leapt to his feet, bolting down the stairs to the front door. Opening it, he saw a smiling Remus standing in front of him. Before the werewolf had time to say anything, Harry had pulled him into the house and enveloped him in a bone-crushing hug, which he gladly returned, delighted to be here, where he could watch over the young wizard.

When they broke apart, Harry held his godfather at arm's length and scrutinized him, assessing his health. He frowned as he noticed that the man still looked a bit under the weather. Leading him into the living room, thereby chasing the Dursleys out of it, he pressed Remus onto the couch and set his hands above the man's heart, sending healing energy into him.

When he was satisfied, he grabbed Remus' hands and dragged the laughing werewolf upstairs to reunite with Severus and Draco, and to meet Lucius. At first, Remus was wary of Lucius, but he gradually relaxed over the course of the next couple of hours as they ate and the teenagers regaled him with tales of the past week.

When Remus heard about Vernon's attacks on Harry, he snarled and tensed, ready to fly down the stairs and beat the man to within an inch of his life. Harry decided to intervene before his godfather had a chance to escalate, and told Remus what had happened to Vernon, both by his magic, and by the hands of Severus and Lucius.

Remus was rather disappointed that the castration wasn't permanent, but was mollified slightly when he learned that it happened all over again every time Vernon so much as thought of touching Harry with ill intent. He did, however, threaten to make it permanent if Vernon so much as looked cross-eyed at his godson.

Harry grinned and dropped the bomb, now that everything else was out of the way. "Oh, yeah, on the day we were attacked, Sev and Lucius were at the Ministry talking to some people. I have permission to try a spell that I found to bring Sirius back from the limbo beyond the Veil in the Department of Mysteries." Remus stared blankly for a while, until comprehension dawned.

A wild hope in his eyes, Remus asked Harry, "Will it work? This spell, I mean? Do you have enough power? I thought it wasn't possible to bring people back from beyond the Veil."

Harry laughed as he answered all of Remus' questions. "I'm pretty sure it will work. I'll have plenty of power for this, especially with you three backing me. It is possible to bring them back, but only if you are strong enough to do so, can speak Parseltongue, and if the person you're bringing back hasn't given up yet and left limbo."

Remus blinked, then grinned at Harry. "Well, it works out rather well that you are one of only two people who can speak Parseltongue, doesn't it?" Harry grinned and nodded, and then smirked as Remus continued. "And it's fortunate that Sirius is so stubborn. He won't have given up yet, not if there was a way back. When do we do this?"

Harry told him, "Saturday, early in the morning, at six. That way, the Ministry won't be overrun with reporters or other people coming in and out." Remus nodded his understanding, then changed the subject, asking where he'd be sleeping. Harry sighed and gave him an option. He could either sleep in the same room as the two Malfoys, who had promised to behave, or he could kick Dudley out of the guest bedroom and take that.

Remus decided to take the guest bedroom, explaining that if Sirius came back, they could room together, because four people was a bit crowded, especially if three of those people consisted of two Malfoys and a Black. Nodding, Harry offered to help him move in, an offer that he gladly accepted.

Once he had Harry alone, he turned to him, a serious and insecure expression on his face. "Harry?" he asked, gaining the boy's attention. When he got a 'hm?' of acknowledgment, he continued. "There's something that I need to tell you about Sirius and I. We…um…well, that is," he stuttered, flustered.

Harry just laughed at him, finishing for him, "You two are together, right? As lovers?"

Remus looked at him, shock evident on his face, and Harry laughed again. "Don't worry about it, Moony. I suspected it for a while, and I've known since we bonded. I could feel the connection you had to Sirius, and I can tell also that part of it is still there, which is the main reason Sirius is still hanging on and the only reason we have a chance of bringing him back."

Remus gave Harry a brilliant smile and a crushing hug, his amber eyes unusually bright as he looked proudly at the young man that he had come to consider his family. Harry smiled tentatively back at him, but then lost the smile altogether as he looked up at Remus.

Sensing that Harry was about to say something important, Remus offered him an encouraging smile and gripped his shoulder reassuringly. Harry took in a deep breath and spoke. "Moony, you know that I consider you my godfather, right?" When Remus opened his mouth to speak, Harry held up his hand, asking not to be interrupted, and Remus fell silent.

Harry continued, "After I bring him back, I still want you to be my godfather. You and Sirius are the closest things to parents that I have, and I want you both to be my godfathers. Is that okay with you?" he asked hopefully. Remus grinned at him and nodded, relieved and touched that Harry still wanted him around even after Sirius came back.

Harry, too, was visibly relieved, as his shoulders slumped and he smiled. After a few seconds of comfortable silence, filled with love and unspoken assurances, he straightened up and looked around the room. "Well, where do we begin? And I guess we'll have to inform Dudley that he's been relegated to the couch. I wonder if he'll fit," he pondered out loud.

Remus' laughter reverberated throughout the Dursley household.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own only the storyline and Amarth. Everyone and everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

**Chapter Eight: From Beyond the Veil**

The following week passed by in tense anticipation, all five wizards keeping themselves occupied as best they could until Saturday arrived. Fortunately, they had the run of the house, as the Dursleys had taken a rather impromptu vacation for the remainder of the summer. Of course, Remus' animalistic growls, when added to Severus' glares and Lucius' icy contempt may have had something to do with that.

Harry often found himself working side by side with Severus on potions. He had found that he had a knack for them with his increased senses, and as a convenient side effect to the bond between them. His keen sense of smell helped a great deal, allowing him to understand how certain ingredients reacted with others.

Friday evening, he asked if he'd be permitted to do an independent experiment on his own, once Severus was confident that he wouldn't blow himself up. He wanted to see if he could modify the Wolfsbane a bit, or perhaps create a generic potion for all lycanthropes.

Severus had reluctantly granted him permission, but only after Harry had begged and groveled on hands and knees in front of him. Apparently, those types of actions reminded him of his days as a Death Eater, bowing and scraping at Voldemort's feet, and therefore irritated him to no end. Harry used this knowledge to his advantage, and his mate had caved within the hour.

On Saturday, Harry and the others were up a good two hours before dawn. Tension sang throughout the house, and conversation was kept to a bare minimum. After a rushed breakfast, the five wizards left for the Ministry building. Upon arrival, they all crowded into one of the booths, and Severus stated their names and business.

Once inside, Harry glanced around and groaned. Obviously, there was a leak somewhere. Reporters were everywhere, swarming around and talking amongst themselves. When they caught sight of Harry Potter and his 'entourage', they immediately swarmed them. Harry growled, trying to push his way through the crowd. He was strong enough to do it, but he didn't want to hurt anybody.

Cameras flashed and several reporters called out to him, trying to be heard over the others. "Harry Potter, is it true that you can raise the dead from beyond the Veil?" "Is it your godfather that you're saving?" "Harry Potter, did you know that Sirius Black was innocent before he died?" "Is it true that it was Bellatrix Lestrange who killed Sirius Black when you lead a group of students into the Department of Mysteries?"

Harry shuddered, throwing the bond wide open and allowing Severus, Remus, and Draco to communicate with him, calming him as he steadily made his way through the crowd. Suddenly, the area cleared a bit, and he could hear a familiar gravely voice ordering everyone back. Sighing in relief, he looked into the familiar face of Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody. Nymphadora Tonks was with him. "Wotcher, Harry," she greeted, bouncing up to him. Harry grinned at her as he greeted her.

Moody walked next to Harry, his magical eye watching the room for any reporters stupid enough to try and approach them again. Harry could just imagine the speculating that was going on now, and he grinned to himself. "Man Who Killed You-Know-Who: Necromancer?"

He wasn't a Necromancer, but what he was doing shared a distant relation to the art of necromancy. He was, after all, bringing someone back from Limbo, but he wouldn't have absolute control over Sirius. If it worked as it was supposed to, he wouldn't have any influence over his godfather at all. Well, not of the supernatural kind at any rate. He figured his puppy dog look might be able to sway Sirius into listening to him. He just hoped that his godfather didn't try to kill Severus before he could explain.

With the help of Moody and Tonks, Harry eventually made it to the chamber within the Department of Mysteries that contained the Veil. Harry expressed his gratitude, but Moody just gave a gruff noise and moved to the outer edges of the room, where four other Aurors stood to watch the proceedings.

Harry licked his lips nervously and took a calming breath, praying to any deity that felt like listening that this would go off without a hitch today. Sitting lotus style on the stone floor in front of the Veil, he closed his eyes. He used everything he had learned in Occlumency to concentrate on the Veil and what lay beyond it. He was vaguely aware of his bonded positioning themselves around him and offering their energy to his. Lucius Malfoy had opted to remain in the back with the Aurors, unsure if his magic could be added to the mix without consequence.

Harry began the summoning, calling out, "Revertor, Reverti, Reversus!" He was calling for Sirius to return to him, to come back. Patiently he waited, occasionally repeating himself, until he felt another awareness crowding in his mind alongside his bonded. He felt a sudden surge of joy from Remus, and a new connection forged itself within his mind. Remus was doing his part and restoring the life-bond between himself and Sirius, his mate.

Once Remus had the link secured firmly, Harry began the next part and spoke to Sirius. 'Sirius. Come back to us…to your loved ones, to your family, free yourself and come to us.' He felt consent within his mind and something started pressing against the barrier of the Veil, struggling to free itself. Sirius was doing his part, and now it was Harry's turn.

Harry began the third part, the part that only Parseltongues could pull off. Apparently, the guardians of the Veil were serpents of some sort, although what kind had never been determined. He started hissing, pleading with the serpents to open the way. He felt Severus and Draco offering him their energy and power, while Remus used his own energy to hang on to Sirius.

Now came the part that Harry dreaded…the bargaining. The serpents would not give up their victims without gaining something in return. Harry had very deliberately not mentioned this part to any of the others, although Draco had helped him research the procedure. Of course, since nobody but him could read Parseltongue, he was able to keep some bits of information to himself.

Harry had thought long and hard about what he would promise the Serpents, and he thought he finally had the answer. Of course, if they refused him, then he'd have to reconsider quickly. Taking a deep breath, he extended his offer. _**I will grant you freedom**_he hissed.

The serpents laughed, their glee and disbelief reverberating inside his mind. _You, Sssserpent-child, would free usss? You cannot. They will not let you_

Harry smirked and replied, _**Oh, but they will. You ssssee, I defeated an evil wizard who would have dessstroyed them all. I am the SSavior of the Wizarding World. They owe me, and they will help me desssstroy thiss boundary and ssset you free. But firsssst, I musst have the man I asssked for, or elssse he will be trapped in there for all eternity and our deal will be void.**_

The Serpent Guardians demanded that he give them his strongest oath that he'd do as promised and free them if they released Sirius. Harry nodded and replied,_**Very well. I sssswear upon my mother's grave. Sssshe died for me ssso that I might live, and her love sssaved me more than once. I ssswear to free you after I have my godfather back.**_

Harry felt their acceptance and tensed, waiting for the drain that was sure to come when the Serpent Guardians used his magic to open the barrier from his side so that they could release Sirius. Sure enough, he felt a huge surge of power rip through him, and his magic flooded into the Veil in a huge wave of vibrant blue light. As it crashed into the Veil, Harry felt it give and felt the fourth presence in his mind grow stronger and nearer. _'Almost there'_ he told himself, panting from the loss of magic, fighting to stay conscious.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the barrier collapsed and Sirius came tumbling through, as alive and healthy as the day he had disappeared beyond the Veil. Harry smiled and hissed to the Serpent Guardians, _**Thank you, friendsss. I will desstroy the Veil when I wake up. I gave my word, and I won't break it**_The Serpents agreed to wait a little longer, and Harry gave up the struggle, slipping into a comforting oblivion.

BREAK

When Harry woke up, he saw Draco standing over him. Blinking, he glanced around, noticing that he was still somewhere in the Ministry. That, at least, was a good thing, since he still had a promise to keep. For the moment, though, he felt like he had been clobbered with half a dozen bludgers and plummeted another eighty feet onto the ground below. In short, he felt like shit. He was tired and weak, but he needed answers, and he needed them now.

Sitting up with his bond-brother's help, Harry frowned and asked, "Where's Sev? And Sirius? It worked, didn't it?" he asked anxiously, the questions coming one after the other.

Draco laughed and clapped a hand over Harry's mouth, effectively silencing him. "Severus is outside with Remus and Sirius right now. Yes, it worked, and Sirius is just fine. He's just a bit pissed, so Remus is catching him up on current events. Your godfather attacked Severus first thing, but a burst of magic from your unconscious body threw him backwards long enough for Remus to grab him and use their bond to calm him down, while Uncle Sev did the same with you. Now they're outside, 'discussing' things," Draco grinned.

Harry offered a weak smile in return and opened his mind again, reaching out for his lover. Severus responded immediately, and Harry relaxed as warmth and concern washed over him. His lover opened his mind fully, and Harry was allowed to look through his eyes. Sirius and Remus were sitting across from him. Sirius was lying down, apparently not in much better shape than Harry, with his head in the werewolf's lap.

Harry was glad to see them getting along relatively well. Sirius still had a slightly troubled frown on his face, but at least he wasn't throwing accusations around or trying to attack Severus. For that, Harry was grateful. He'd hate to have to hurt his godfather after just getting him back. His sentiments must have overwhelmed Severus' already weak defenses—a result from loaning power during the summoning—because the next thing Harry knew, his words were pouring out of his lover's mouth.

"I'm glad to see you all getting along so well. I was so afraid that you'd try to hurt Sev and then I would have had to hurt you, and I just got you back," he murmured softly, his throat clogged with tears as he determinedly held them back.

Shocked at what he had just done, Harry pulled out of the bond altogether, leaving only enough open so that he could tell that Severus was all right and not in any danger. He pulled out so abruptly that he missed the shocked looks of his godfathers, and their hesitant question, "Harry?" He missed seeing Severus explain to them what had happened, as he gauged the men's reactions. Harry blocked it all out, choosing instead to snuggle up against Draco, seeking comfort and consolation, which his bond-brother willingly provided. Lucius was nowhere to be found.

A few minutes later, Harry heard a tentative knocking and Draco called, "Come in."

Hesitant footsteps made their way across the room, and a warm, familiar voice called for him. "Harry?" The raven-haired teenager lay still for a few moments, absorbing the knowledge that Sirius was really there. The summoning had worked, and he had his godfather back.

A hand landed gently on his shoulders, and Harry flew into action, turning around and wrapping Sirius in a bone-crushing hug, despite his weakened state, crying into the man's shoulder. He apologized over and over again for getting Sirius killed, and expressed his relief at having him back, repeating, "I love you, Sirius. I do. I love you."

The older man remained silent, letting him cry his grief and guilt out, rubbing soothing circles on the boy's back and making eye contact with Severus the entire time. It was Snape who broke the contact first, staring at Harry. Sirius used his distraction to observe him closely. He noticed the concern and pain in the other man's eyes — pain for what his godson, Harry, was going through. He also saw love in there — it was the same look he often gave Remus, the look that said that he would do anything for the one he loved, and that he would never stop loving him, no matter what.

Sighing, Sirius conceded defeat. He knew of mating bonds, since he was mated to a werewolf, and they too mated for life, as did Jachyras. He knew that he couldn't separate them, but he wasn't about to see his godson hurt either. Yet, looking at Snape — Severus, he told himself firmly — he knew that the other man would never do anything to hurt the boy Sirius now held tightly in his arms.

Eventually, Harry's sobs slowed and then ceased altogether, and Sirius helped him to sit up. Harry offered him a weak smile, and Sirius returned it, letting Harry know that he was forgiven and that everything was going to be all right. Harry's smile widened at that, reaching to his eyes this time.

Shifting, Harry turned to the other people in the room, noticing that Lucius had slipped in sometime recently. "I have a promise to keep now. I have to get the Veil destroyed once and for all. I promised the Serpent Guardians that watch over the Veil that I would free them if they gave Sirius back to me." He shifted uncomfortably as everybody stared at him in disbelief.

Draco was the first to speak. "Harry, are you insane! How the hell are we supposed to destroy the Veil? And why didn't you tell anyone about the bargaining part! Where was it?"

Harry sighed. "No, I'm not insane. At least, I don't think I am, but I suppose I could be wrong. We aren't doing anything. The Unspeakables will have to destroy the Veil. I didn't tell anyone because I knew that this was how you'd react. It was the bit that was in Parseltongue, which is why nobody else saw it."

Silence reigned, but was disturbed as a young Auror entered the room, bowing politely to Harry before asking if there was anything he'd need. Harry nodded, and asked if he could possibly speak to the Minister about a matter of great importance. The Auror nodded, bowed again, and left, going to get the Minister.

A few minutes later, Arthur Weasley walked into the room, smiling at seeing Harry awake, still in the arms of his godfather. Since Sirius' innocence had been made public, he could walk around in human form whenever he wanted. "You wanted to see me about something, Harry?"

Harry nodded and explained what he had promised the Serpent Guardians at the Gate into the World Beyond the Veil. When he was done, having made his request, Arthur pursed his lips for a few moments, and then nodded. "It shouldn't be a problem. We've been debating getting rid of it for a while, but decided to wait until you'd had your chance at retrieving your godfather. Would you like to stay and watch?" he offered. Harry nodded, thanking him, and Arthur left to make preparations, promising to return for them in about an hour.

Harry used that hour wisely, drawing magic from the area around him to speed up his own recovery, replenishing his energy as well as that of his bonded. He also used the time to give Sirius a brief sketch of what had happened since he had fallen through the Veil.

When he was done, Sirius just held him tightly, not saying anything, just offering the comfort of his touch, letting Harry know that he was real and alive and not going anywhere. He was furious at the Dursleys for treating his godson so horribly, but he held in the anger. Now was not the time, as he might end up doing more harm than good with his explosive temper.

True to his word, Arthur arrived an hour later and gestured for them to follow him back to the chamber. Harry leaned on Severus for support, while Sirius followed behind them. Remus, Draco and Lucius walked in the front and to the sides, so that Harry was as protected as possible.

Upon reaching the chamber, Harry took note of the robed and veiled figures gathered around the Veil. Arthur Weasley gestured for them to be silent, then gave the Unspeakables permission to go ahead with the procedure. As one, they chanted, the words in a language unfamiliar to Harry. He couldn't translate it.

As they watched, the Veil proceeded to shrink in size until it disappeared altogether. Harry reached out with his mind, seeking for the Serpent Guardians, but he could not sense them. They had been freed, and all the souls had gone on into the Realm of the Dead. Harry smiled in contentment, leaning back against his mate, with his entire family gathered around him. Together again, and this time, he'd make sure they stayed that way.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: The characters and anything else related to the universe of Harry Potter, created by J.K. Rowling, do not belong to me.**

**Chapter Nine: Return to Hogwarts**

Harry grinned, flicking his wrist, satisfied at the click that followed. Opening the door, he turned to Sirius. "Welcome to this humble abode. Our hosts appear to be rather indisposed at the moment, so I will be giving you the grand tour," he teased, letting everybody into the house. He had noticed the neighbors giving them all odd looks, but Harry had just smiled and waved and they went back to doing whatever it was they had been doing before Harry and his guests had come sauntering down the street.

Sirius snorted at this, trying to contain his laughter. He had been filled in by Severus and an eager Draco Malfoy, so he knew exactly why the elder Dursley was indisposed, taking his wife and son with him. Vernon just couldn't handle so many wizards in the house, especially since they all wanted him dead and made no secret about it.

Sighing, he frowned again as he returned to an earlier discussion with Harry, during the time they had spent alone together before returning to the Dursleys.

_**Flashback**_

"Well, now that I'm back, you can come live with me!" an excited Sirius offered, bouncing on his feet. He slowed his fidgeting as he saw the sad look on Harry's face. Lifting his godson's face up to look him in the eyes, he asked softly, "Harry? What is it? What's wrong? I thought that this was what you wanted?"

Harry launched himself into his godfather's arms, clinging to him tightly, not saying anything. By this time, Sirius had grown anxious with worry, and reluctantly pulled back from the embrace to look Harry in the eyes again. "It's all right, Harry. You can tell me, you know. Anything you want, I won't get angry, I promise. Okay?" he encouraged softly.

Harry nodded and explained to Sirius about were-Jachyras and their need for close proximity to their bonded. Sirius nodded in understanding. He had already been told all of this, when Remus was trying to keep him from hexing Snape six ways to Sunday.

He still didn't like it that Snivellus and his precious godson were mated, but he knew that there was nothing he could do about it. He also knew, from his experiences with Remus, that should he try to force Harry to choose between them, he'd lose, hands down. So he accepted it, and vowed to make peace with Sniv—Severus if he was able.

Grimacing at what he was about to do, he murmured, "Well, you could all come to Grimmauld Place, you know. I know the 'old crowd' uses that place, but not all the time, and it's large enough that we could probably avoid seeing everyone else." Harry refused that offer as well, at least for this summer, giving Sirius a brief sketch of the trial and the results.

Sirius was furious. A judge and an entire jury let the Dursleys get off scott-free and then went missing, killed by Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and nobody noticed? Then again, he was forgetting that the idiot Fudge had been Minister until very recently.

He must've spoken this last bit aloud, because laughed and replied, "Yeah, but at least now the imbecile is out of office. They couldn't do anything else to him, though, since his main fault was ignoring the threat that Voldemort posed, which no longer exists. He might have remained Minister to this day if I hadn't cheated and forced him out of it."

At this, Sirius laughed outright, just picturing Fudge's face when he realized that a teenage boy, not even fully grown yet, had forced him out of office. Harry soon joined him, and they were entwined comfortably together when the others found them, telling them that it was time to go.

_**End Flashback**_

As Sirius drifted out of his memories, he was aware of a hand waving in front of his face and Harry's voice calling to him. "Hey, Siri? What's up? You spaced out for a while there. Are you all right?" Sirius just offered his godson a smile and a nod, reassuring him that he was just fine.

"How long will those muggles be…indisposed?" he asked again, grinning.

Harry answered him with a smirk. "Oh, at least until I leave here. They seemed to believe that I was the sole cause of their self-created Hell, and are busy trying to hide. Which works well for my purposes. This way, I don't have to see them, and they'll never have to see me again. I'm only here because the Ministry court ordered that I spend an entire summer here, with only a few occasions spent outside of the Dursley residence."

Sirius nodded and muttered, "Pity," under his breath, rather disappointed that Severus and Lucius, and even Remus, had gotten shots at Vernon and he hadn't. Being dead sucked, and he wrote himself a mental note to avoid returning to the world of the dead anytime soon.

Harry just rolled his eyes as Sirius began to lose himself in thought again. "C'mon, Padfoot," he called impatiently, and was rewarded when Sirius jumped before glaring at him. Harry just smirked. "I need to show you around, and then Moony can show you where you two will be sleeping. I share a room with Sev, and Draco shares one with his father. I'm still debating on who I want to pair him up with. Any suggestions?"

Sirius shrugged, replying, "Not until I know more. Which way does he swing?" Harry blinked, then his eyes widened and his mouth opened in a silent 'o' of surprise. He flushed, and Sirius grinned, knowing exactly what had happened. "You haven't bothered to find out yet, have you?"

Harry just shook his head, still not looking up at his godfather, mortified by his oversight. No wonder he couldn't think of anybody suitable. He didn't even know what gender Draco preferred. He'd have to correct that in short order, and then maybe he could finally get to planning.

Sirius just laughed again at his godson and clapped him on the back. It felt good to be back and able to share this sort of camaraderie with his godson. Harry may be bound to three wizards, two of which he would've never guessed possible, but he was still Harry, still the son of James and Lily Potter, his godson. Speaking of bonds…"Harry?" When he had the younger man's attention, he asked, "Will I be bonded to you as well? Or have you reached your quota?"

Harry shook his head, "I tried already, but I didn't feel the same tug towards you that I felt for the others. I think it has something to do with you being Remus' mate. You belong to him, so I can't bond with you."

Sirius frowned, and asked his next question, "If we can't bond because of Remus, then why could he bond with you?"

Harry sighed. "Remus was able to bond with me because he is the dominant in your pairing. He owns you, not the other way around. Of course, it's a life-bond, so you don't have to worry about it ever breaking or even weakening, but that's not the point. I can bond with Remus because he is the dominant in your relationship, and as such, he does not belong to anyone in the way a submissive belongs to a dominant. Did that make any sense?" Harry frowned.

Sirius nodded, "I think so. You're saying that because Remus was the one who marked me, I'm off limits? However, since nobody actually marked him, he's fair game?" Harry nodded in confirmation and Sirius expelled his breath, rubbing his temples. All this logic and emotional upheaval was giving him a headache. He had gone from dead to alive, then from joy to anger to sorrow and acceptance, and back to joy. He was exhausted.

Harry must have noticed this because he tugged Sirius towards the stairs, leading him up them and into what used to be Dudley's room. It had been transformed to fit the needs of its new occupants, one of which was reclined on the bed, reading a novel of some sorts. Remus looked up as Harry entered, noticing the pale man behind him and smiling in delight. "Paddy! It's good to see you looking so alive," he greeted.

Sirius growled playfully, snarling, "Thanks so much for that rousing endorsement." He fell onto the bed as soon as Harry had led him to its edge, and didn't move. Remus sighed and pulled him more firmly onto the bed, grinning the entire time. Looking up at Harry, Moony let his godson know that Sirius would be taken well care of. Nodding, Harry headed out to find Severus, allowing Remus to get on with whatever it was he was doing.

The next few weeks flew by rapidly, with nothing major occurring beyond Harry's birthday. He had awoken to complete and total silence in an empty bed. Sighing dejectedly, he took a shower and dressed for the day, then headed downstairs to the kitchen, hoping that someone had at least saved him some breakfast. He got more than he bargained for when his family jumped out and yelled "Surprise! Happy Birthday!" It was the best birthday that Harry could remember. Someone, probably Severus, had intercepted his birthday owls from Ron, Hermione, Albus, and Hagrid, which should have tipped him off, and probably would have, if only Severus hadn't distracted him so thoroughly the night before.

The party they threw for him was no big fanfare, which Harry appreciated, but they still had some very pleasant surprises in store for him that day. First of all, he was now seventeen, so he was considered to be of age and no longer needed a permanent guardian. Secondly, about mid-afternoon, there was a knock on the door. Sirius sent Harry to get it, unable to hold back his grin. Suspicious, Harry opened the door, bracing himself. Hermione, Ron, and the rest of the Weasleys had arrived. Hermione was staying with the Weasleys for the last month of summer, so she had come along to his party.

Opening his gifts, Harry was thrilled. From Hagrid, Harry got the annual gift of rock cakes and treacle fudge. He got several books on Defense from Hermione, a bunch of pranks from the twins, which Severus had forbidden him to use in his class, and a couple of books on Animagi from Sirius and Remus. He grinned at them, wondering if he could actually become an animagus as well as a lycanthrope. Such an occurrence had never been documented before, but then again, were-Jachyras seemed to ignore most of the rules of lycanthropy. OR maybe it was just Harry Potter who had a penchant for turning rules on their head.

Even if he couldn't become an animagus himself, he was sure his friends would like to try. Then they could run with Amarth, Moony, and Padfoot on the nights of the full moon. Actually, they could run with Amarth and Snuffles whenever they wanted to.

Albus had sent him the key to the Potter vault. When he looked inquiringly at Sirius, the older man grinned at him. "You didn't think that your vault contained the entire Potter fortune, did you? That was just to be used for your schooling. Now that you're seventeen, you have access to the entire Potter estate, their vault and their land." Harry blinked, then smiled softly. He now had more money than he'd ever use. He was sure, though, that he would find a use for it somewhere.

From Severus, Harry received a beautiful onyx pendant shaped like a lightning bolt, with several protection spells and concealment charms on it. Once Harry had put it on, he was the only one who could see it. Severus informed him that the protection spells had been placed on there by all the people who loved him—Albus, the Weasleys, Hermione, Draco, Sirius and Remus, and of course himself, Severus Snape. Even Lucius had added his own concealment and protection spells to the pendant. Harry was truly touched by the gift and shivered when Sev leaned over to breathe into his ear, "I have the rest of your gift in our room. You'll receive it later."

Draco's gift was last, and by far Harry's favorite. The youngest Malfoy, with his father's help, had gotten Harry a young Cobra, which he named Salazar, or Sal for short. He spent several minutes just talking to the snake, unaware of everyone's attention as they gazed at him in awe. After all, with the exception of Draco, Severus, Ron, and Hermione, none of them had ever actually heard Harry talk to serpents, even though they knew that he could. The sound was soothing, unlike Voldemort's snake-speech, which had served only to strike fear in those who heard it.

Harry spent the day with his friends, talking about anything and everything, and just in general having a good time. Occasionally, he'd answer some questions of Sal's, and then translate the conversation for his friends.

Eventually, evening fell and the Weasleys and Hermione left. Dinner was a quiet affair, just Harry and his family, of which Lucius was included, being the father of his bond-brother. After dinner, they talked and played a few games, before Harry declared that he was beat and headed for bed.

Severus was waiting for him when he came out of the bedroom, biting his lip nervously. Harry remembered that Severus had told him that he had another gift coming. Looking at Severus curiously, he waited.

Finally, Severus gathered his courage and dropped to his knees in front of Harry, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a beautiful silver band with an emerald embedded in its center. "We are already bonded and mated," he began tentatively, "but I would like to make our union official. Would you consent to being my husband?"

Harry's squeal of ecstasy rang throughout the house as he launched himself at Severus, proclaiming over and over, "Yes, yes, yes. I love you. Yes, yes." The others, who had coming running up at Harry's cry, smiled to see him so happy. Even Sirius kept his mouth shut, knowing that Harry was happy with Severus, and that he had no right to interfere. His reward was a smile of delighted surprise and pride from his own bonded husband.

Through correspondence with his friends, Harry discovered that the 'rebirth' of Sirius had been leaked to the press. Reporters were everywhere, seeking the elusive Harry Potter, Necromancer Extraordinaire. Harry rolled his eyes when he read this, along with the article that followed, courtesy of the Weasley twins. Apparently, they believed him to be a practitioner of necromancy and the Dark Arts. This was one time when Harry was glad to be at Privet Drive for the summer. The press couldn't find him, he was with family, and by the time he returned, this would have hopefully blown over.

Fortunately, the press hadn't found out about Severus' proposal yet. Harry had owled both of his best friends to tell them, and had granted Albus permission to announce it at the opening feast at Hogwarts. It would work excellently as a shocker, since the old coot could no longer use the name Voldemort to grab everyone's attention. Well, he could, but only to mention that he had been destroyed by Gryffindor's Golden Boy, Harry Potter.

Speaking of Gryffindor, Harry wondered if he'd be considered a neutral student again. He suspected that he would, considering the bond and the fact that an apprenticeship gave him some direction now that Voldemort was gone, plus it would allow him to remain at Hogwarts for several more years, until his apprenticeship was complete. He was hoping to become a Master in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Healing. Defense had always been his favorite subject, although the same couldn't be said of most of the teachers. Perhaps it was because of Voldemort, but he enjoyed Defense.

As for the other, being a Jachyra gave him a natural affinity for healing and protecting people, so he figured he might as well put it to use. He'd be able to study under Madame Pomfrey and Severus, since potions were often used in the medical field, and it would be useful if he could brew his own. Of course, that meant he'd have to be rather competent in Potions, so maybe he should look for a Mastery in that field as well.

BREAK 

Eventually, September First rolled around, and it was time to return to Hogwarts, and excitement filled the air. They were going home! All of them. Harry and Draco still had a year to complete, Severus had Potions to teach and a House to head, and the Canine Duo would be teaching this year. Remus would remain the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for the second year running, with Sirius as an assistant and substitute for the days surrounding the full moon, which thrilled Harry to no end.

Upon reaching Platform 9 ¾ , Harry suddenly found himself wishing that he had thought to disguise himself. He was instantly flooded by reporters and well-wishers, praising his name and blocking his path to the train. Fortunately, his bodyguards came to his rescue. Between Severus' Death Glare and scowl, and Lucius Malfoy's commanding presence, the others managed to usher Harry onto the train, where his friends were waiting, laughing at him.

While Sirius, Remus, and Severus headed for the teacher's compartment—they had decided to ride the train rather than risk apparating on top of a crowd of people—Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco found another compartment of their own. Harry and Draco sealed the compartment door so that no one but the food lady would be able to get in. Harry didn't feel like dealing with people right now.

The trip was pleasant, and as Harry rode in one of the Thestral-drawn carriages, he watched out the window as the scenery passed by. He gazed at the school in contentment as they approached the front gates. He had to duck, however, when he saw the reporters, all clamoring for a look at the Savior. Draco just smirked at him, but gave in when Harry shot him a desperate, pleading look, pulling Harry's invisibility cloak from his pocket and unshrinking it. Harry smiled at him gratefully, glad that the Slytherin tended to think ahead.

When his friends exited the carriage, with Harry going after Draco but before Hermione, the reporters instantly flooded them, asking where Harry was. Hermione and Ron both appeared flustered, but Draco handed the whole deal smoothly, stating that Harry Potter had arrived at Hogwarts a week early in order to avoid the crowds. This disappointed the reporters, but Harry let out a sigh of relief and thanked every deity he could think of for the birth of Draco Lucius Malfoy.

Once inside, he removed the invisibility cloak and proceeded to his usual seat at the Gryffindor table, dragging Draco along with him. The other Gryffindors surprised him, greeting him amiably, or at least neutrally, and behaving very courteously. Curious, Draco looked at the were-Jachyra next to him.

Harry flashed him a grin and whispered in his ear that the Gryffindors knew what had happened the last time anybody had tried to hurt or insult Draco. Despite the fact that those were Slytherins, Harry had made it very clear that the same rules applied to everyone else.

They fell silent as the first years entered the room. It was a large group this year. With the Dark Lord gone, parents were letting their children away from home. There were nineteen Gryffindors, seventeen Slytherins, nineteen Ravenclaw, and fifteen Hufflepuff added to their ranks that year, making a total of seventy new students.

Dumbledore rose and the table fell silent, waiting with baited breath. Smiling genially, the old man gave his annual announcements concerning the Forbidden Forest and Filch's list of restricted items. He spoke of Voldemort's defeat, and Harry got a standing ovation, which only served to make him huddle in his seat, face flaming, wishing that he could just disappear or sink right through the floor. Draco had taken his cloak back, so he was stuck there.

Once the applause had settled, Dumbledore spoke again. "I have only one more major announcement. I would like to announce the engagement of Harry James Potter to Severus Salazar Snape. Mr. Potter accepted a marriage proposal on July 31st, and they will be married in May, after the ending feast. Speaking of feasts, everybody dig in!"

With that, food appeared on the tables, but for several long moments, nobody moved. Then, in a flurry of sound, everybody started talking at once, and speculations flew. Harry ate silently, keeping his head down, until he was finished. Exiting the Great Hall, he went straight for the dungeons and his room, falling into bed and immediately falling asleep, exhausted. He'd deal with the rest of the school population tomorrow.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: It's in the first nine chapters, if you really want to read it.**

**Chapter Ten: Living Dementor**

Groaning, Harry dragged himself out of bed and into the shower, noticing that Severus was already gone, probably to grab a quick breakfast before finishing up his lesson plans for the school year, or making some more potions for the Hospital Wing.

Harry wasn't sure whether or not the fact that it was a Saturday was good or bad. He did appreciate that the starting feast at Hogwarts had actually been on a Friday this year, to allow both professors and students an entire weekend to adjust and welcome the first years before classes started, but he really didn't want to face the student body today. Unfortunately, he could think of no way to avoid it outside of staying in bed all day, and with Severus for a roommate, that just wasn't an option.

As the hot water beat down on him, serving to both soothe his sore muscles and to wake him up, Harry thought about everything that had happened. He had destroyed Voldemort once and for all, he had taught Vernon a much-needed lesson, he had brought Sirius back from beyond the Veil, and now he was getting ready to marry his lifemate.

He couldn't have been happier, but something was weighing him down, an invisible heaviness that couldn't be seen and wasn't really felt. It was just…there. Almost as if everything was too good to be true, and was inevitably going to come crashing down on his head.

Harry shivered at the depressing train of thought as he stepped out of the shower and spell-dried his hair. He briefly debated leaving it to fall in waves to the middle of his back, but then decided that it would only get in the way, so he braided it and wove a brown leather string through it, letting it flop around behind his back like a tail.

With Sal wrapped around his wrist under his robes, Harry left the relative safety of his quarters and headed upstairs to the Great Hall, intent on checking for his bonded and making sure they were faring all right. Sure enough, Severus and Remus were already seated at the Head Table, and Draco was just walking in. Catching the other boy's attention, Harry led him over to the Gryffindor table, and they started eating. The whole time, Harry couldn't shake the unnerving feeling that there was something he should be noticing, something different, but he just couldn't figure out what it was.

Ron unwittingly solved it for him when he looked at his friend, concerned, and asked, "Does the scar still bother you even though he's gone, mate?" Harry froze, realizing that his hand was rubbing his scar in an instinctive gesture. It was the same motion he had made when Voldemort was up to something, and it had often served as a warning for both himself and the Order.

Frowning, Harry just shook his head and reassured Ron that he was fine. He saw Draco looking at him through narrowed eyes, clearly not believing a word, but he didn't respond to the look, instead turning back to his breakfast. When he was done, he made his excuses and walked out of the Great Hall, Draco following. On the way to Dumbledore's office, he opened the mind-link and contacted Severus.

**_Sev, would you, Remus, Sirius, and Professor Dumbledore please come up to the Headmaster's office? I have something that I need to tell you all_** he asked quietly. Upon receiving confirmation from Severus that they'd be there in about ten minutes, Harry headed for the owlery. Spotting Hedwig, he called softly to her. Summoning parchment and a quill, Harry jotted down a quick note and sent it off with the snowy owl.

Draco looked at him, an obvious question in his eyes, but Harry ignored it. He'd explain when they reached Dumbledore's office and not before. He very purposely ignored the agitated way Salazar was tightening his grip around his wrist.

When they arrived, Severus was there waiting for them. He spoke the password 'Bolt' and headed up the stairs. Harry frowned, asking, "Bolt?" Severus smirked and told him that the Headmaster had apparently decided to honor Harry by using a word related to him instead of his usual candy password. At this, Draco snickered and Harry rolled his eyes.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, they were ushered inside and offered seats, tea, and lemon drops. After they had each accepted—or declined, depending on who was asked and what was offered—Harry decided to get right to business. "When I woke up this morning, I had the feeling that something bad was happening, but I couldn't figure out what it was. It was just outside my reach."

"Then, at breakfast," he continued, "Ron mentioned something that startled me, and I was able to figure out what had been bothering me all morning. He asked if my scar was still bothering me even though Voldemort is dead, and I realized that I was rubbing my scar, and that it was itching. Is this normal? Or is it as I suspect and someone else is trying to take over in the absence of the Dark Lord?"

At this suggestion, the room fell silent and the faces turned startled, then contemplative. Dumbledore's twinkle had dimmed considerably as he pondered these words. "I do not know, Harry. I have not heard of any Dark activity lately, but that might only be true because they're lying low at the moment, following Voldemort's fall. I no longer have any way to find out whether or not a new Dark Lord has risen." Harry knew what he meant—Severus had been exposed as a spy and a traitor, and now Albus no longer had access to that sort of information he needed.

Draco stared at Harry, and the raven-haired boy lifted an eyebrow, already having a pretty good guess about what Draco was going to ask him. "That letter that you sent out, who did it go to?"

Noticing that he now had everyone's attention, he shrugged, "I sent it to your father, Draco."

"Harry, why would you do that?" asked Dumbledore seriously. "Informing him that you suspect a new Dark Lord, no matter how you received the information, is very dangerous."

Harry looked at his Headmaster appraisingly for a few moments before nodding in satisfaction and answering him. "Because of the nature of this bond, I can tell that Lucius is loyal to me by reaching through Draco to him. I share a bond with Draco, as does Lucius, although his is that of a parent to a child rather than the sibling bond that I have with Draco. He will not betray us, but he is in the most…advantageous position to aid us in gathering information."

Dumbledore nodded, but this time it was Sirius who cut in. "What happens if he gets caught? He no longer has the Dark Mark on his forearm, so they'll know that he's a traitor. Won't they?" he asked anxiously.

Harry nearly laughed, but managed to contain himself. It was funny seeing Sirius so concerned for Lucius, when before he had disappeared in the Ministry, he hated him with a passion. It also pleased him immensely, because he knew that his godfather was trying to accept the people in his life now, to not force him to make a choice, or to be torn.

"No, because I sent him an explanation for that as well, in the event that such an occasion arose. He is very influential within the Ministry, and his son is bonded to me. I offered to remove the Dark Mark in exchange for his loyalty. What better way to get close to us than to swear loyalty? He'll be the spy this time around, if there is a new Dark Lord. Besides, having no Mark allows him to go where those with the Dark Mark can't, and it gains him entrance into Hogwarts."

Turning to Dumbledore, Harry frowned. "The wards were changed to keep anyone with the Dark Mark out, right?"

The Headmaster nodded, replying, "Yes, since there was no longer any need for exceptions now that Severus' own Mark has been removed, the Wards were rewoven to keep all Death Eaters out."

Harry frowned. "What about other Dark factions?" he asked. When he just got a blank look in return, he opened his mouth to clarify when there was a sudden tapping at the window. Hedwig had come back, and she was carrying a letter, tied to her foot and sealed with the Malfoy crest.

Letting Hedwig in, he relieved her of her burden and sent her to the owlery for food and rest. Opening the letter, he scanned the contents, and the others watched the emotions pass over his face, fleeting images merging to create a whole picture. They had a fairly good idea of what the letter said, and it was confirmed when Harry summarized it.

"Lucius says that there is indeed a new Dark One rising, although he is not sure yet whether it is male or female, as he has not yet met this individual. Their mark is actually the Talisman Mark, similar to what I bore for a short while, but he does not yet know where it is to be placed. His loyalties were indeed questioned, but he answered as I instructed and has been invited to join them. He asked for one week to make a final decision since, should he accept, his decision will be irrevocable. He wishes to know what we would have him do, and has offered to be a spy. He has the qualifications for it, I think," he concluded, glancing around the room for a consensus.

When the others nodded their consent, Harry nodded and turned to Draco. "Draco, I want you to invite your father here within the next week. I need to talk to him face to face and make sure that he's willing to do this. I will not order him into it." Draco nodded, smiling gratefully at his bond-brother. He knew how much his father hated being ordered around, and felt that this just might be the event that cinched his loyalty to the Light.

Harry glanced around the room. "Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?" When everybody shook their heads, he grinned and clapped his hands together. "Good then, let's go! It's beautiful outside and we should—" he cut his statement off abruptly with a gasp of pain as he double over, collapsing to the ground and pressing his hands to his forehead. Acting on instinct, Severus threw open the mind-link and all three bonded were pulled into Harry's vision, leaving only Sirius and Albus out.

_**Vision**_

_They were in a long hallway, which Harry seemed to recognize, because he growled low in his throat before turning around immediately and walking through the door across the room, motioning for the others to follow. Staying close to Harry, they entered into a round chamber made of stone. There were few furnishings, but in the center of a room was a throne, empty at the moment._

_Sighing, Harry moved over against the wall and sat down so that he had a clear view of the throne, his feet stretched out in front of him. The others mimicked his movements, and he offered them a reassuring smile, informing them that nobody could see them here._

_Severus wondered idly if Harry came here a lot, and Harry nodded, sending images through their minds, horrific images of torture and rape and murder, of cackling laughter and the cruel crack of a whip, the rattling of chains and the screams of those without hope. All three wizards shuddered at the memories, but Harry just smiled grimly, shrugging. He had lived through that for years, more so after Voldemort had risen again with the help of his blood, so he had been a bit desensitized, much like Severus and Lucius had been when they were Death Eaters._

_It was these true visions, they realized, that had sent Harry running after Sirius and straight into Voldemort's trap back in fifth year. Suddenly, Severus had a new perspective of Harry's seemingly foolish actions. He had the unsettling feeling that, had he been forced to endure those kinds of dreams every night, without having mastery over Occlumency, he'd believe the fake dreams as well, seeing as that they probably all appeared to be the same to Harry._

_Severus was disrupted from his line of thinking as the door burst open and a figure dressed all in black robes strode in. The person, who they all assumed was the newest Dark Tyrant, had a hood up over their hair, and wore a black mask that covered most of their face. They still had no idea of the person's gender. It was of average height for most males, a bit tall for a woman, but the robes were so loose that no distinguishing features could be made out. A second person followed behind the first, and the observers guessed that he'd probably be the first one to do the new person's bidding._

_As they watched, around two dozen former Death Eaters that had managed to elude the Ministry filed into the room, bowing to the ground in front of their new master, kissing the hem of the figure's robes. The Dark One then bid the Death Eaters to rise and move forward one by one, shedding their masks. Harry started ticking them off slowly as he watched the proceedings. Macnair, Nott, Sanderson, Hewitt, Smith, Thompson, Davis, Johnston, and several others that he didn't recognize by face were present at the meeting. Severus did, however, and he labeled the rest, while Harry put the familiar names with the unfamiliar faces and committed them to memory for future reference._

_As each Death Eater stood in front of their master, the Dark One placed a hand over their heart and murmured a series of incantations. The men and women cried out as the Talisman Mark was burned into their flesh. Once all the Marks had been completed, they were called forth once more. This time, the Dark One marked them all in a different place, such as the shoulder, arm, back, neck, waist, hip, stomach, thigh, or ankle._

_Harry rose silently and crept closer, trying to get a better look at the smaller design. It was a skull, like the Dark Mark, but without the serpent. Harry looked up from his exploration when the Dark One spoke for the first time. "The former Dark Lord was nothing more than a filthy mudblood, who has gotten the punishment he deserved. Now, it is time for the genuine purebloods to rule, and this time, no mere child is going to stop us. After all, he's not a killer and never will be, and he can't turn a true pureblood into a pathetic muggle. This time, it is we who will be victorious!"_

_Cheers rang throughout the chamber as the Dark Lady's—for the person was indeed female, and sounded awfully familiar to Harry—speech ended. Frowning, Harry wondered if her followers were still called Death Eaters. Deciding that nothing more was to be gained from the Dark Lady now that she had dismissed her servants, he followed them out, his family following behind him._

_Two of them were talking, "Skullbearers, huh? I suppose it could've been worse."_

_The other man nodded in agreement, adding quietly, "And did you hear the Lady's nicknames? The Queen of Nightmares, and the Living Dementor. I wonder what they mean."_

_The first man shrugged and the two continued on their way. Harry looked at the others wide-eyed. "I wasn't expecting to receive so many answers so quickly." The others nodded in agreement as they felt themselves being pulled out of the vision._

_**End Vision**_

The four wizards groaned as they opened their eyes, aware that they had all collapsed onto the floor at some point. Both Sirius and Albus were watching them worriedly from their seats. Harry just shook his head and stood up, settling back into his chair. The others took a bit longer to reorient themselves and find their seats.

Once they were settled, they noticed Harry smirking at them and scowled when he asked sweetly, "Are you three all right? That wasn't too distracting, was it? I do hope that you now understand how I felt all these years, with a Dark Lord running rampant in my head," he finished seriously.

The other three just nodded and Remus sighed, "You knew when we kept things from you, didn't you? Even if it didn't have to do with you directly."

Harry nodded. "I often saw attacks as they occurred. At the beginning, Voldemort had to be there for me to see anything. After I became a were-Jachyra, I was able to see them without him being present. In addition, I often saw the attacks before they actually happened, or heard the plans for them. You all never even thought to ask me if I could be your spy. You didn't ask then, and you haven't asked now."

Dumbledore sighed, and looked at the other three wizards. Severus inclined his head slightly, and Harry watched the interaction, puzzled. Then Albus turned to him, his eyes somber as he spoke. "Harry, I was aware that you felt you were being treated unfairly when we failed to inform you of certain…events and pieces of information. I did not realize that your visions allowed you to see the actual events with such clarity that a brief sketch might do more good than harm. For that, I apologize."

"I truly am unaware of what might be happening right now, but I want to assure you that you will not be kept in the dark this time around. We made that mistake once, but we will not repeat it."

Harry nodded in acceptance of his apology, but smirked at the Headmaster. "Apology accepted, not that it matters much anyway. Lucius' loyalty, as well as the loyalty of all those in this room belongs to me first before it belongs to you. I highly doubt that you will ever have much more information than I do. I am, however, willing to share what information I gather with you, provided that you extend the same courtesy to me."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement, and they were dismissed for the time being. Harry walked down the stairs and out of the castle, a bounce in his step. There may be a new Dark Lady attempting to rise to power in Voldemort's wake, but with Harry's resources, she wouldn't stand a chance. Now he just had to wait. In the meantime, however, there was always Quidditch!


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Not mine if you recognize it.**

**Chapter Eleven: Enter the Weasley Twins**

That evening found Harry Potter picking at his dinner, fretting over the new Dark Lady. He was worried, and he'd admit it, if only to himself. He knew that there was to be an Order meeting tonight, since Severus had informed him of it, but apparently he was not invited. He growled, angry because it was he who found out about the Dark Lady, and he felt that he should be included this time as well.

Dumbledore had promised that he wouldn't be kept in the dark this time around, but it looked like he was breaking that promise already. Dammit! How the hell was he supposed to help this time? Or, more precisely, how the hell was everybody else supposed to help him? He knew that he'd be facing off against the Dark Lady alone eventually, as it was inevitable, just like with Voldemort, but he didn't want to be left in the dark until it was time to destroy the enemy this time around. Harry needed all the information and support he could get.

Sighing, Harry decided that he wasn't going to get anything accomplished by playing with his food. He made his excuses to Ron and Hermione, inviting them down later, and left the Great Hall. He was on his way down to his rooms, debating about whether or not to try and listen in on the Order meeting, when he felt a harsh jerk on the mind link. It was Draco, and something had just frightened him.

Startled, Harry turned around and flew towards the astronomy tower, wondering what the hell had frightened the blonde that badly in Hogwarts. The bond was calmer now, as if he had just been badly startled, but Harry wasn't about to stop now. He'd see what was wrong first, and then he'd give Draco a good lecture about scaring him like that.

As he reached for the door leading into the tower, it was yanked open from the inside, and Draco came storming out, face flushed and lips twisted into a fierce scowl. Harry tentatively reached out with the mind-link and flinched when he felt Draco's fury. Whatever had happened had obviously upset him, but other than that, he appeared to be all right.

Harry made to go after him, but a warning growl through the bond warned him that Draco wasn't in a mood to be comforted, and that Harry just might get hurt if he followed. Resignedly, Harry backed off for the moment and instead headed up the stairs into the tower to see what had set him off.

At first, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Glancing around, he noticed that a table had been overturned, the telescope shattered and the celestial maps scattered. Frowning, Harry called out, "Hello? Is anybody up here? And what the hell did you do to Draco!"

Two shadows detached themselves from the floor, and Harry swung his gaze to them, eyes widening when he recognized the Weasley twins, faces and robes covered in soot and shiny blue goo. Frowning, he looked them over, asking critically, "An experiment gone wrong, I suppose?" The twins nodded abashedly.

"We're trying to create a new prank for our shops, but we needed some potions ingredients from Snape, so we came here. After getting the ingredients we needed, we came up to this tower," George started.

"We didn't think that anyone else would be up here already, and we didn't see Malfoy sitting in the corner. Apparently, he didn't see us either, because when the explosion occurred, he jerked and screamed like he had been hit with the Cruciatus," continued Fred, as George used his wand to clean them both up. "We didn't mean to scare him, honest. We would never do that to anyone, especially not to one of your bonded."

Harry blinked, wondering if the slight bitterness he had heard in Fred's voice was just a figment of his imagination. If it was real, then what was he bitter about? Frowning, Harry thought back over the last sentences in Fred's apology. "We didn't mean to scare him…one of your bonded."

Harry's eyes widened and he spoke in a tone of utter disbelief, "You like him! As in, more than friend, like?" Both Fred and George's heads shot up and they looked at him guiltily. Harry shook his head. Both of them? When did this happen?

He must have spoken that last question out loud, because George answered him, "We've thought he was gorgeous for quite a while now, but we couldn't stand his stuck-up attitude. It also didn't help that he looked upon us as the poor Weasley clan with too many children, a disgrace to purebloods everywhere. But now, he's different, nicer. It didn't exactly take us long to notice."

Harry nodded. He supposed that made sense. After all, he had warmed up to Draco rather quickly himself. The Slytherin really wasn't that bad when you got to know him. Realizing that Fred was talking again, he turned his attention back to the twins as they all headed out of the tower. "Unfortunately, I believe we blew it this time. We embarrassed him, and I don't know if he'll ever forgive us for it," Fred murmured dejectedly.

Shrugging, Harry spoke up. "Did you ever think that perhaps he's embarrassed because he likes you, too? Then again, getting frightened in Hogwarts by a family that he's always despised on principle has got to have been a blow to his pride, and Draco is, above all, a Malfoy. Pride is ingrained into them, as is superiority. It's just the way they are…the way they've always been, for generations, if Draco's to be believed."

Fred and George looked at him hopefully and he sighed in resignation. "Fine, I'll talk to him, but I make no guarantees. I don't even know if he prefers men over women." Fred and George both hastened to assure them that they wanted nothing more than to work out their differences and possibly become friends with him. Of course, that might change in the future, but for now, they'd settle with ending the feud between their families. The adults might not want to stop it, but their children could, and would, if it was at all possible.

Harry was thrilled. He had noticed that Draco seemed to be excluded a lot, although they tried to involve him in everything. Harry had Severus, Remus had Sirius, and Draco's father couldn't remain in Hogwarts. Perhaps the twins' friendship and mischievous nature would keep him occupied and happy. Of course, now he had to knock some sense into the stubborn prat to get him to agree to meet with them at all. Perhaps he'd come to the first few meetings with Draco, until the other boy was comfortable on his own. After all, he liked the twins, and he didn't get to see them often now that they were out of school.

They paused in front of the Headmaster's office and Harry sighed. "Let me guess. It's a meeting of the 'old crowd', you two are a part of it, and I'm not invited, right?" The twins glanced at each other and then nodded slowly, their expressions regretful. Harry sighed, "Very well, then. I won't pretend to understand, because I don't, but could you two do me a favor and tell Dumbledore something for me?"

The twins nodded readily and Harry told them, "Tell Dumbledore that if he keeps me in the dark this time, after promising not to, I will do the same for him. I will take every one of the remaining Death Eaters who have not yet gathered again and make them mine. I will not share my visions with him, or the intelligence I gather. Nor will I tell him anything else that he may find vital. Got that?" The twins nodded, wide-eyed, then headed up the stairs.

Still angry, Harry glided down the stairs; he got great enjoyment from snarling at anyone who happened to cross his path. He could appreciate now why Severus did this so often. It was rather liberating when one was angry. By the time he reached the dungeons and Draco's chambers, he had calmed considerably.

Knocking softly, he waited for Draco's muffled, "Come in," before entering. The silver-eyed boy was sitting on the couch in his living room, staring blankly into the flames. Walking over to him, Harry sat down next to him and wrapped his arms around his bond-brother, pulling the other boy into a warm embrace. Draco sighed in contentment and snuggled into Harry's chest, causing Harry to smile.

"They didn't mean to scare you, you know," he spoke softly. Draco stiffened and abruptly tried to sit up, but Harry used his lycanthropic strength to hold him still. "They didn't mean to scare you, and they feel really bad about it. They want to apologize to you after the meeting, so I've invited them down when they're done." He had done no such thing, but he could always have Remus or Severus snag them on the way out if Draco agreed to it.

Draco tilted his head at an odd angle to look Harry in the eyes. "Do you mean that? They don't want to poke fun at me for freaking out?" Harry shook his head, chuckling lightly, but stopping almost immediately when he noticed that Draco wasn't in any mood to be laughed at.

"No, Draco. They don't want to poke fun at you. They feel really bad about what they did. They also said that they'd like to end the feud between your families. Something along the line of 'if our parents can't do it, then it's up to their children to make amends.' They don't want this feud to continue with you. Ron's already accepted you as a friend. They want a chance to get to know you too," he explained reasonably, holding his breath as he awaited Draco's response.

Draco still looked doubtful, but nodded slowly nonetheless. "All right, I'll meet with them, but only if you're there, too." Harry assured him that he would stay there until Draco chased him out, then opened the mind-link to Severus, knowing that he had the best expressionless mask of all of them. **_Sev, love, when you come down after the meeting, could you please grab the Weasley twins? They need to talk to Draco_**

Severus sent him confirmation, and then offered to let him inside to see what was going on. After letting Draco know what was going on, Harry accepted eagerly and was soon looking out of his lover's eyes. Glancing around, he took note of the familiar faces, but paid close attention to the new additions. It wouldn't do for him to not know who he'd have to deal with if he wanted to reach another member of the Order.

Once he was done, he backed out, confident that Severus would let him know what had happened. And if he wasn't allowed, due to a spell or something, Harry could simply pull the information out by a means more sophisticated than Legilimency. That was one of the many advantages of the mind-link, and a useful one at that. For now, though, Harry was content to sit and wait with his bond-brother for the arrival of the twins.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters thus associated with it. I own the storyline and Amarth (and Sal).**

**Chapter Twelve: Secrets**

Two hours later, Harry jerked in startled surprise when Severus contacted him, informing him that the meeting was over and that he and Remus were coming down, and bringing with the twins. He sounded amused for some reason, and Harry puzzled over it while he waited for them to arrive. He just couldn't figure out what had tickled his lover's fancy now. Surely, it couldn't have been the order meeting.

He turned towards the door as it opened and the Weasley twins stepped in, followed by Remus, Severus…and Lucius Malfoy. Harry blinked, then grinned. "That was rather quick, Lucius. I'm impressed."

Lucius just shrugged, but Harry could tell that he was pleased with the compliment. Harry turned to Severus and demanded, "All right, cough it up. What's so funny? I haven't seen you this amused in a long while. What gives?"

Severus gave him an innocent look, but it broke when Remus elbowed him in the ribs and gave him a 'look.' Severus grinned and answered Harry's question. "I really don't think Albus expected you to threaten him, and certainly not via the Weasley twins. He was rather…startled, should we say?" Harry smirked and thanked the twins for delivering his message, then turned back to Severus expectantly.

Severus moved to sit down and Draco motioned for the others to make themselves comfortable while Harry went to prepare tea for everyone. He made some small finger sandwiches as well and levitated them all out to the living room before seating himself in his mate's lap.

"So?" he demanded impatiently when nobody spoke. "What happened? What did the Headmaster do when he got my message?"

Remus was the first to break, giggling as he replied, "Well, he just kind of sat there, stunned, for a few moments while we all stared at him. Then he seemed to wake up from his daze, said something inane about young men not knowing what was good for them and trying to keep you safe, then he changed the topic to the Dark Lady and the threat she poses."

Harry nodded and raised an eyebrow, asking, "Does he have any information other than what I gave him?" Severus and Remus shook their heads in the negative while the twins looked on silently, obviously wondering what they were missing. So Harry told them his story, beginning from when he had first heard the full Prophecy concerning him and Voldemort, up until the present predicament with the Dark Lady.

The voice of the Lady still bothered him. It was familiar, and he felt that he should know it. Severus recognized it, too, but couldn't place it, either. His guess was that the voice belonged to a former Death Eater who was rarely seen, but then again, since some of them were so rarely seen, only known to a select few, Severus might not know all the Death Eaters who followed Voldemort.

Suddenly, Harry felt something warm wriggling in his pocket and remembered that he had put Salazar there because the cobra was tired and had said that his pocket was warm and comfortable.

Reaching into his robes, Harry let Sal slither onto his wrist before pulling him out. The snake lifted his head and flicked out his tongue, hissing _There are many nessstmatesss here. Why is this?_

Harry blinked, then shrugged and answered back, _We're having a meeting. We're trying to find out who the Dark Lady issss. Do you have any ideass?_ he hissed.

Salazar shook his head and replied, _I cannot know because you will not sssshow me._

Puzzled, Harry asked him what he meant and Salazar explained that Harry needed to open his mind to the cobra so that he could pull out the memories. He'd then be able to use his own brand of snake magic to contact others and see if they recognized the person's voice. Harry nodded and explained briefly what he was about to do for the benefit of the others in the room. Then he cleared his mind, opening it and welcoming Salazar inside.

The young snake seemed to know exactly what he was doing and had quickly located Harry's vision, where he had first heard the Dark Lady. Having that information, he withdrew, and Harry remained still as he did whatever it was that snakes did to get information. A few seconds later, Salazar looked up at Harry and spoke softly. _They sssay that ssssshe was a favorite of the former Dark Masssster, who could talk to ussss. Sssshe hatessss you, but ssshe hatess one called Sssssiriusss more. They have heard her cursssing his name. I do not know more than that. I am sssorry._ Sal apologized.

Harry paled, but thanked the cobra quickly before looking at the others in the room. "Salazar knows who it is. Well, he gave a good enough description that even I can figure it out, and I've only seen the woman once." He noticed the expectant looks surrounding him and took a deep breath before repeating what Salazar had told him.

When he was done, the twins still looked confused, but everyone else had paled considerably. It was Sirius who spoke the name first. "It's Bella, isn't it? Bellatrix Lestrange." Harry nodded in silent confirmation. Now the twins were pale as well. They had heard the stories, and if even half of them were true, then they had a far more dangerous opponent than Voldemort ever was. Bellatrix was rumored to be insane as a result of her lengthy sentence in Azkaban, until Voldemort was resurrected and broke her out. She was also the one who had killed Sirius in the Department of Ministries, throwing him beyond the Veil. To have someone like that in power would be disastrous.

Lucius turned to Harry. "Now that we have figured out just who the Dark Lady is, there are only two main questions remaining, that I can think of." When Harry nodded, he continued. "First of all, what do you want me to do? Serve her or refuse to do so? Secondly, do we tell that bumbling fool Dumbledore and the Order, or not?"

Harry frowned and answered, "It is up to you whether or not you join Bellatrix. I can get enough information through my visions to keep up, I think, and I'm considering enlisting some of the other Death Eaters as well, the ones who haven't agreed to serve under her."

"I will not tell the Order of the Dark Lady's identity until Dumbledore decides to actually let me know what's going on before it's too late, and I trust the rest of you to remain silent about it as well," he warned, looking pointedly at the twins and Sirius. Fred and George nodded somberly, swearing to keep this information to themselves. Sirius readily agreed to keep it a secret as well.

"All right, now that everything's settled, Fred and George? It's your turn." The twins nodded and turned to Draco.

Fred spoke first. "We just wanted to apologize for playing that prank on you. We had never intended for you to be hurt from it, and we're sorry." He glanced over at Lucius as he said this, and Draco guessed what wasn't being said. It had been an accident, they hadn't known he was there, and they hadn't meant to scare him like they had. Taking the blame was their way of helping him retain his pride as the Malfoy heir. After all, a Malfoy wouldn't have allowed himself to be caught unaware like that, ever.

Draco shrugged. "It's all right. I just overreacted a bit, that's all." He grinned at the two boys, grateful that they had allowed him to keep his dignity in front of his father. They grinned back at him, happy that he wasn't going to hold it against them and that he wasn't going to completely humiliate them in front of the elder Malfoy.

Lucius rose and bid everyone a farewell, before promising to consider his options and to send a letter within three days. The Weasley twins were very courteous to him, which confused him, but only a little. After all, they might be purebloods, but they were still dirt-poor; it was about time they learned their place. Lucius might act respectful towards Harry Potter, but then again, the boy had enough raw power to destroy Voldemort, to turn him into a worthless muggle. He easily overshadowed that muggle-loving fool Dumbledore. Or so he consoled himself, refusing to simply admit that he actually _liked _the brat.

After Lucius had left, Harry stood and excused himself, dragging Severus and his two godfathers with him. When they reached the relative safety of the dungeon corridors, Harry turned to his godfathers. "You guys will be here all weekend, right?" Sirius and Remus nodded and assured Harry that they'd be there if he needed them, since they didn't have enough information to be sent on recognizance missions yet.

They said their good-byes, and left Harry and Severus alone in the corridor. Sighing, Harry turned back towards their room and walked inside, flopping down on the couch, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Severus wisely left him alone after setting a vial of Dreamless Sleep on the coffee table by his side.

Harry just lay there, thinking and planning. He hated Bellatrix with a passion. She was the one who delivered the curse that sent Sirius through the Veil, where he had stayed for just over a year. Sixth year was one of the hardest periods of Harry's life, when he had to fight Voldemort. His friends and his bonded helped him through it, and he wouldn't give that up for anything, but he could have used his godfather's comfort. Instead, he had continued to believe that he had killed his godfather, just like he killed everyone else around him.

His brain swirled as he thought of his parents, Cedric, Sirius, and countless others who died because he couldn't do his job and destroy Voldemort. He swore to himself that he'd see Bellatrix dead before she had time to come to power.

A sudden knock on the door distracted him from his thoughts. Hermione and Ron had shown up. Inviting them inside, Harry sat down with them in the living room and they discussed anything and everything, from Dumbledore's penchant for keeping the most important secrets, to when the next Hogsmeade trip was, to the Quidditch trials coming up.

Harry was careful not to tell them about Bellatrix, or even that there was a new Dark Lady, and soon he was able to relax and just enjoy himself. He had never realized before just how much he had missed this, sitting around with his friends and talking about anything and nothing, safe in the knowledge that they cared and would stand by him.

Eventually, they had to go, but they congratulated him again on his marriage to Severus, even if Ron shuddered in mock revulsion and forbid details about what went on between them in private. After they left, Harry slumped, utterly exhausted. He knew that he couldn't risk dreaming tonight, not if he wanted to be able to handle school tomorrow. Draco was fine, he was sure of it, and he'd know if anything was wrong. The same went for Remus, and through him, Sirius.

Content that those he cared for were safe, Harry wrote a quick letter to Dumbledore, warning him one last time against attempting to hide anything of significance from him. He loved the old man, and the Headmaster returned the feelings, he was sure, but if Dumbledore continued to try and protect him by keeping secrets, then all he was going to do was send Harry into more trouble when he tried to find out what was being hidden, or fell into another trap because he didn't know enough to avoid it. So he had to ensure that Dumbledore would keep him fully informted this time around.

Sighing heavily, and knowing that there was nothing else he could do, Harry sent the letter off and downed the Dreamless Sleep potion. He barely made it into bed, curling up next to Severus, before he was asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything related to it. I own only Amarth and the storyline.**

**Chapter Thirteen: Exchanges of Information (One-sided and Otherwise)**

The next week flew by quickly. Classes started, and Harry got back into the swing of things, continuing his training with more vigor than ever. Bellatrix had to be powerful if she had cowed so many of the former Death Eaters, now Skullbearers, into following her. Harry had no idea how she had come across the power, or if somebody else was helping her. It may very well have been her own power, hidden away until now. After all, Voldemort had obviously favored the slightly insane woman, so he must have seen something in her.

Dumbledore hadn't spoken to him yet, but Harry knew it was only a matter of time. He was using his skills in Occlumency and Legilimency, as well as his connection to Voldemort's successor, to the utmost capacity, and had learned a great deal. He informed the Headmaster of upcoming raids and attacks, not wanting to involve innocents in his battle with the Headmaster, but he did nothing more, although he made sure to drop enough hints to ensure that Dumbledore knew that he was playing other information close to his chest. The old wizard would have to make the first move.

Hermione and Ron still visited him some evenings, but never for long. They were dating and had their own plans, and Harry was happy for them. He missed their close companionship sometimes, but he had Severus, as well as Remus, Sirius, and Draco, so he didn't complain.

Draco and the twins spent a great deal of time together, the twins coming to Hogwarts most nights, since they lived right in Hogsmeade. The twins had been ecstatic upon discovering that the Slytherin prince had an excellent sense of humor, and he became their new test subject for their pranks—only the ones with cures, of course. Harry was happy for him too. He knew that the Weasley twins would never do anything to intentionally harm his bond-brother, even if he hadn't been linked to a were-Jachyra.

Lucius had also been given orders, and Harry was hoping for a reply today sometime. Sure enough, when the morning mail arrived, Hedwig flew down to him, bearing two letters. One from Lucius, and one from—Harry smirked—Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was about time.

Pocketing Lucius' letter for later perusal, Harry opened Dumbledore's message and scanned it quickly, grinning in satisfaction. He had been invited up to the Headmaster's office for tea after classes were over for the day. They had some things to discuss.

In a much better mood now that Dumbledore appeared to have heeded his warning, Harry wolfed down his breakfast with an eagerness that amused Draco to no end, before bolting out of the Great Hall and heading for his rooms. Allowing Salazar, his nearly constant companion these days, to wrap comfortably around his wrist, Harry headed for the Potions classroom, where he'd spend the morning with Severus. He'd then move on to the Defense classroom with Remus and Sirius for the afternoon to do whatever work they assigned him.

Sighing, Harry sat down at one of the front desks and pulled out all the necessary ingredients and equipment for today's potion. He was rather excited today, because he would be making Veritaserum, as well as its antidote. Unfortunately, he'd be testing them both, and that rather put a damper on things. Then again, Severus promised that only he would ask the questions and only he would hear the answers, which improved his mood again, to the point where he wasn't entirely sure just what it was that he was feeling about today's practical.

As the other students—fifth year Ravenclaw and Slytherin—began filing into the classroom, Harry set up a barrier around his cauldron. This class wasn't so bad, but in some of the Gryffindor/Slytherin classes, ingredients went flying, and Harry didn't want to risk anything hitting his potion. So now it was habit for every potion he did, whether or not there was a class going on at the time.

Harry looked up and watched as his lover stalked into the room, scowl and glare firmly in place, although they were a bit toned down for this class. After all, the Ravenclaws never caused much trouble, and the Slytherins had no interest in tormenting them as they did the Gryffindors.

Harry hid a grin as his mate's sarcastic tongue cut through his students, making them shake in their seats. After some curt instructions that were severely lacking any sort of detail, Severus had them begin their potions—a mild truth serum that would most likely be on their O.W.L's.

He began working on his own potion diligently, but kept the mind-link open, sensing that Severus wanted to talk to him, but wouldn't do so out loud with so many students in the room to witness their conversation. Besides, this way they didn't have to code their words.

Sure enough, about ten minutes into his potion, as he was stirring it clockwise and timing out five minutes, Severus spoke to him. _/Love, what were the letters you received this morning/_

Harry sent a mental smirk and a victory sign to Severus before answering, **_One was from Dumbledore, inviting me up for tea after classes. The other one was from Lucius. He's decided not to serve Bellatrix, but he has gotten a list of former Death Eaters who have not agreed to serve her yet, as well as ones who would be willing to serve me in exchange for my removing the Dark Mark from their forearms._**

Severus frowned visibly, but the students saw nothing unusual about this, so it didn't matter. _/Are you sure it's a good idea to just free them like that, Harry? I mean, they were Death Eaters for a reason, you know. /_

Harry nodded, then spoke again. _Yes, depending on who all is on the list, I think I'm going to Mark them myself. Not with a painful Mark or anything, but something to bind them to me so that they don't try to go back on their deal._

He could feel Severus' skepticism through the bond, and answered his unspoken question. _No, I'm not sure they'll accept it, but I'm going to arrange it so that the Marks only serve to keep them from betraying me and my bonded, nothing more._ Severus was still doubtful, but he let it drop for the moment, and Harry got back to his potion.

The first class ended and Harry continued to work straight on through the first year Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw class before completing the Veritaserum. He appreciated now just why the Ministry only used Veritaserum created by Potions Masters. It was a very complex potion, and one mistake could turn the entire thing into poison. It made Harry proud of his mate's title as a Potions Master for some reason that he really couldn't explain.

He finished the antidote that class period, just in time for lunch, which they ate in their quarters. Afterwards, Severus had a free period, and they'd test the Veritaserum then. The potions professor had approved of Harry's potion and was mostly convinced that it wouldn't poison him. The same went for the antidote. Harry took that as the compliment it was meant to be.

Nervous now that the time had come, Harry gathered his legendary Gryffindor courage and opened his mouth, allowing Severus to place three drops of the potion onto his tongue. In a matter of seconds, he felt a warm, comfortable haze envelop his mind, but at the same time, he could still think clearly. He wondered if this had anything with his Jachyra-magic. He'd have to ask Severus after his 'interrogation.'

Severus grinned at him maliciously, and Harry held back a groan. He just knew he was in trouble now. When Severus started looking like that, he was either going to ask potentially embarrassing questions, or just questions he'd wanted the answers to for some time. Harry had a feeling it was the latter, and he had pretty good guesses about what they'd be, too.

Sure enough, Severus' first question was, "Did you ever steal boomslang from my stores in your second year?" Harry answered with an honest 'no' and hoped that Severus would let it be. His mate quickly dashed that hope as he asked, "Do you know who did?" A confirmation and two questions later, he had given up Hermione's roll in stealing the ingredient and also his own role in the creation of the Polyjuice potion in second year.

Harry was praying wildly that his friends couldn't get in trouble for this since it had happened several years ago. Of course, he was still rather lucid despite the Veritaserum running through his system, and was wondering if he could actually get away with prevaricating around the serum. After all, he had done it before when questioned, telling them the minimal amount of truth so that they didn't make their questions more exact.

Severus grinned wickedly at him and asked, "Did you steal the Gillyweed from my stores in fourth year for the Second Task?" Harry shook his head, answering with a quiet 'no', and then admitted that Dobby had taken it before Severus could ask. This revelation floored the older man, but he recovered quickly and asked Harry how he had freed the House Elf back in second year.

Harry couldn't help it—he laughed out loud as he recalled the events surrounding Dobby's release, and how Harry had tricked the man into giving the Elf a sock. He continued grinning like an idiot as he spoke of the wallop that Dobby had delivered to Lucius when the man threatened him. Severus laughed right along with him.

After Severus recovered, he turned to Harry and asked impishly, "What was the most embarrassing moment of your years here at Hogwarts?" The curiosity was bright in his eyes, and Harry winced internally.

He flushed and debated trying to lie, but then realized that the truth would be so much more effective, so he let the Veritaserum do its work. "My most embarrassing moment was the first day of classes here at Hogwarts, when you questioned me, the new 'celebrity', on different potions ingredients."

"I had only made two friends at that time, and you made me the laughingstock of Slytherin. It made my life even harder seeing Malfoy smirk at me every time we passed each other, teasing me about being a 'celebrity' who didn't know anything about magic. It was made worse because it was true," Harry knew he was rambling, but he had to get this off his chest. "I never even knew that I was a wizard until Hagrid came to collect me and bring me to Diagon Alley for my things. And then I find out that my parents had been killed by Voldemort, and that I had defeated him as an infant and was a hero for something I didn't even remember."

Harry's ramblings slowed as he noticed the odd look Severus was giving him. Looking closer, he realized that it was a mixture of guilt, shock, and anger, most likely directed at the Dursleys. He fell silent at last and waited for Severus to continue. Instead, the other wizard just handed him his antidote, which he downed quickly before moving and settling himself in his lover's lap. "What's wrong?" he asked softly, eyes sincere in their concern.

Severus shook his head, "It's nothing for you to worry about, Harry." Harry just gave him a look, and a small smile graced his lips. "All right, all right, just don't go hunting through my mind for details, all right?"

Harry nodded, and Severus spoke. "I was just thinking about my own childhood. It wasn't easy, but I do believe that I had it better than you. I was beaten, but never anything more. I was raised knowing that I was a wizard, but I was expected to become a Death Eater and serve Voldemort. I think, though, that in spite of everything, my life was actually better than yours."

Harry shrugged, "Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, but that's exactly what they are…the past. They no longer matter. You no longer serve Voldemort or bear the Dark Mark, and I no longer have to live with the Dursleys. We've got our own little family now, as strange as it is, and if it took all those bad things to get us here, then I'm happy they happened."

Severus blinked, pondering Harry's words, and then he smiled up at his love, onyx eyes sparkling. "You're right, Harry. I won't regret the past. It's over and done with, and so many good things came out of it. It was all worth it." Harry smiled and leaned down, kissing his lover firmly. It was a chaste kiss, one intended to convey warmth and comfort rather than passion.

When they pulled back, Harry just sat there, resting his head on Severus' shoulder, while the other man held him tightly. Glancing at the clock, Severus sighed. "It's almost time for my next class, and you need to go up to Lupin and Black's classroom now, Harry."

Harry nodded, but didn't move from his comfortable perch on the potion professor's lap. Finally, after several attempts at getting the younger man to move, Severus just pushed him off and onto the floor, where Harry let out an indignant yelp and glared at his lover, who just smirked back at him.

"You should get going before Black decides to have a litter, wondering what the hell I'm doing to you now, Mr. Potter," he snarked, and Harry grinned—Professor Snape was back and ready to go. Climbing to his feet, Harry gave Severus a quick kiss and slipped out the door, heading for the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

When he got there, he was still a few minutes early, so Remus and Sirius had time to greet him properly and let him know what he'd be doing. Apparently, he'd be participating in the first half hour of the fourth year Ravenclaw/Gryffindor class, which was learning the Patronus Charm. They wanted him to demonstrate a corporeal Patronus, and Harry agreed readily. After that, he'd be working on an independent study project of his choice, as long as it was related to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Harry fidgeted a bit before admitting to his godfathers that he had been considering researching Marking, Bonding, and Summoning. He wanted to know how Voldemort had specialized his Marks, and why he chose to use them the way he did.

What Harry didn't say was that he suspected Bellatrix Lestrange had used the same idea, with a few slight variations intended to change the purpose of the Talisman Mark, and that Harry wanted to see if he could create a Mark of his own. It would make it easier for him to ensure the loyalty of any ex-Death Eaters who wished to serve the Light.

Sirius and Remus agreed readily, not really surprised at his choice of research subjects. After all, it made sense that if he could banish the Dark Mark to those somehow bound to him, either through themselves or through another of his bonded, as Lucius and Sirius were, then he might find a way to affect the Marks of those who he had no influence over or connection to.

Satisfied, Harry took his seat in the back corner of the room and pulled out some books for his research. He made a mental note to ask Remus or Sirius for a pass into the Restricted section for more books. He already knew some good ones, but he wanted specifics as opposed to the generalizations he had gotten before.

As the Ravenclaw/Gryffindor class filed in, Harry set his things aside and waited for the class to begin. Half an hour later, Harry was invited up to the front of the room to summon his Patronus. Conjuring up the memory of the moment when Sirius had come back to life, Harry cried, "Expecto Patronum!" and a brilliant silver stag burst forth from his wand. Not seeing any Dementors to chase, Prongs trotted around the room once, showing off, before returning to Harry and bowing his magnificent head before dissipating.

The students were in awe as Harry returned to his seat, flushing lightly. He hated being the center of attention like this, but if it encouraged the students to work harder so that they too could produce corporeal patronus', then Harry was all for it.

He started back on his research as the class resumed, scratching furiously onto his parchment, writing notes and theories that he wished to research further. He had some ideas of his own that he wanted to test, and he figured that he'd start working on it after his initial bout of research was completed.

After classes had finally ended for the day, Harry remained with Remus and Sirius for about an hour, chatting about anything and everything that tickled their fancy. There was no mention of the Dark Lady or Skullbearers, for which Harry was grateful. He wanted to see what Dumbledore had to say before talking to his godfathers about it.

Politely excusing himself and promising to spend time with them over the weekend, Harry headed for the Headmaster's office. One more stop and he was done for the day…he hoped. Sighing out the password at the gargoyle guarding the office's entrance—"Jelly Bean"—Harry went up the stairs and was invited inside before he had a chance to knock.

Dumbledore's expression was solemn, but he still held that infernal twinkle in his eyes, which Harry took for a good sign. After accepting both tea and a lemon drop, Harry sat back and waited patiently for the Headmaster to begin.

Smiling gently, Dumbledore admitted, "Harry, I know we haven't been telling you much of anything, and that indeed you have told us far more than we've let you know, but it was not out of spite. We do not really have all that much information, and I'm beginning to suspect that you might actually have more information than we do."

Harry nodded for the Headmaster to continue, which he did after a brief moment used to gather his thoughts. "I think it's time for us to admit that you are no longer a child and should not be treated like one, regardless of how much we might wish to protect you from the outside world that has known peace for such a short while. So far, we have gathered that the Dark Lady, whoever she is, does indeed have some sort of outside help."

"We also know that not all the Death Eaters have chosen to serve her, and that she's considering recruiting children while still in school. We have set up protections against that, but we cannot stop the children from receiving the Talisman Mark when they return home for the holidays. That's all we have been able to gather so far."

Harry nodded and shrugged, "Some of that is information that I don't have. Now I'll let you know the rest of what I know so far. First off, the Dark Lady is actually Voldemort's former favorite, Bellatrix Lestrange. There are at least two dozen former Death Eaters who do not wish to serve Bellatrix and are seeking refuge. We might be able to convince some of them to serve the Light side in some capacity or another. I have a list of their names, if you should need it."

"Also, Bellatrix's first target will be Sirius, even before me, so we must keep him safe within Hogwarts' walls, even if it drives him insane. We can't even let him out as Snuffles since Pettigrew told Voldemort, and through him, the rest of the Death Eaters, about Sirius' animagus form."

"She, too, wants the Talisman. She burned its Mark into the Skullbearers, but she does not have the actual Talisman in her possession. Lastly, the Skullbearers are so named because of the skulls they sport, each in a different location on every person, much like what you do for the Order of the Phoenix. The Talisman Marks can be easily covered and are set right over the hearts of the Skullbearers, but the Skull marks cannot be covered or concealed by spells or charms."

"Oh! One more thing," Harry added quickly. "Bellatrix Lestrange also has the nicknames 'Queen of Nightmares' and 'Living Dementor', but I haven't found out why yet."

Dumbledore just nodded, taking in all this information and looking at Harry respectfully. "If you will allow me to speak frankly?" he asked, and Harry nodded. "Very well, then. I will try to find the answers you seek, and I will share what information I am able to gather with you, but I have the feeling that the exchange is going to be rather unequal. Does this bother you?"

Harry shook his head, "Not at all, Professor. I just don't like being kept in the dark about things, and I'm sure you don't either. If we work together and exchange information, we can accomplish what we need to far more effectively." The old wizard nodded and smiled at Harry, thanking him for his help.

Harry knew a dismissal when he heard one, and he beat a hasty retreat, anxious to spend some time with his 'family' before dinner and bedtime, as well as to get some more research done. He had a feeling that this year was going to be his busiest one yet!


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I own only the storyline. Anything you recognize probably belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

**Chapter Fourteen: Marked**

Harry was pleased. He had finally unlocked the key to Marking and binding others to himself, and he wrote to Lucius, trying to arrange individual meetings with each of the ex-Death Eaters that might wish to join him as opposed to Bellatrix. Lucius had kept in contact with those people, and had approached them cautiously with Harry's offer, returning mostly with favorable results. Harry's protection spells, added to Lucius' own skills as a wizard, kept those who were too afraid of the Dark Lady to join her, but who still hated Harry, from killing Lucius.

Of course, he hadn't informed anyone else about his actions, and he wouldn't either, until after it was too late. He knew that everyone would try to stop him if they knew he was indulging in such reckless behavior. It was hardest to hide things from Severus though. Not just because he loved the man more than life itself, but because the bond they shared made it nearly impossible for him to keep secrets from his mate. It was hard with Remus and Draco, too, but not nearly as difficult as it was to keep Severus in the dark.

Harry and Albus had met at least once a day to discuss various goings on. It had been decided that Sirius would not know of the Dark Lady's activities until they could no longer hide them from him. If he knew, they had no doubt that he'd rant and rave and try to take on his cousin by himself, which neither wizard found to be an acceptable solution.

What confused—and worried—Harry the most was Bellatrix's obsession with his godfather. He knew that Sirius had 'shamed' the Blacks by being a Gryffindor and working for the Light, but there had to be more to it than that. Didn't there? Or maybe Bella was just insane enough that the only person she _could _focus all her rage and hatred on was Sirius, who represented everything that she stood against.

Sighing, Harry sat up in bed, resigned to the fact that he'd be getting no more sleep that night. Figuring that he might as well be doing something useful, Harry slid out of bed, grinning when Severus whimpered lightly at the loss of contact and rolled over, burrowing under the covers on Harry's side of the bed and sighing contentedly. His lover was just too cute sometimes.

Still grinning, Harry went into the living room and sat down, pulling out a quill, ink, and parchment. Sitting down, he began drawing. He went through several designs before finally deciding on one that he liked. Proud of himself, Harry sat back and admired his craftsmanship.

The Mark he had drawn wasn't anything that he had consciously chosen, but it felt right, somehow. It was as if the Mark had been tailor made to suit his personality and his needs. The drawing would be placed in the small of the back, where it could be very easily hidden. There were three creatures on it, forming his Mark. A griffin, intricately detailed with wings spread and head held proudly, pranced along the bottom of the Mark.

A silver serpent, fast and deadly, held and was held by the griffin, its tail in the creature's mouth while it returned the favor, creating an unending circle. Neither griffin nor serpent posed any threat to the other, showing instead the unity of both of Harry's Houses—Gryffindor and Slytherin.

In the very center of a circle was a phoenix, wings spread and a silent cry of battle issuing forth from it, challenging those who would threaten it. The phoenix was, unlike Fawkes, all black with silver beginning at its tips and following the curves of each feather like molten metal.

Harry was so absorbed in admiring his own work that he jumped, startled, when a voice hissed by his ear _Very nice. I'm impressssed, young ssssnake-child. You have ssshown your persssonality in thisss drawing. What isss it for?_

Recovering somewhat from the fright he had just received, Harry answered Salazar. _It issss my Mark. I do not know what type of Mark, though. _ When Sal inquired further, he elaborated, _The other, evil sssserpent-ssspeaker called hissss symbol the Dark Mark, and this new lady callsssss hersss the Talisssman Mark. I do not yet know what to call mine, other than sssimply 'the Mark'. Any suggestions?_ he asked.

Salazar seemed to contemplate his words for a few minutes before replying, _If you sssaw that desssign somewhere elsssse, what would you call it?_

Harry answered automatically, not thinking about it. _I'd name it the Mark of Unity, since that issss what it represssentsss to me._

Blinking, Harry realized that he had just unwittingly answered his own question. Damn. That wasn't so hard after all. Maybe he'd call it the Unity Mark for short. It's not like anybody else needed to know where the name had come from.

Harry thanked Salazar and summoned a House Elf to get him some living mice for breakfast. He was just glad it wasn't Dobby. The House Elf would have woken Severus up with his loud cries of praise, and then the man would have been grumpy for the rest of the day, and Harry wished to avoid a grumpy Potions Master at all costs.

While Salazar ate, Harry headed for the bathroom and a long shower, enjoying the feelings of hot water running through his waist-length hair and over his toned body, relaxing muscles that he hadn't even realized were tensed. Groaning in pleasure, Harry tilted his hair back and just cherished the warmth while it lasted.

When the water finally began to cool, Harry climbed out of the shower and toweled himself dry, using a spell on his hair so that it lay in shining waves down his back, caressing his bare skin. He smirked wickedly, wondering how Severus would react to seeing him completely undressed, covered only by his hair, first thing in the morning. Deciding that there was no time like the present to find out, Harry walked out of the bathroom and moved to the kitchen, starting the coffee.

Pouring two cups for himself and Severus, Harry walked into the bedroom, calling out cheerily, "Rise and shine, Sev! It's a beautiful morning, and we should do something fun today. Maybe we can go Christmas shopping in Hogsmeade?" he asked hopefully.

Severus just groaned and buried his face into the pillow, snuggling further under the covers as he muttered, "G'way."

Harry grinned. "All right, I guess you don't want this cup of coffee, then," he teased, wafting the scent of the coffee tantalizingly close to Severus, who rose quickly and snatched the cup out of Harry's hand, not bothering to thank him, glaring instead and stating, "Damn you. It should be illegal to be this cheerful first thing in the morning."

Grinning, Harry gave his lover a quick kiss and wandered back into the kitchen to finish his own cup, knowing that Severus would follow him when he was ready for another cup. He couldn't wait to see his mate's reaction when he realized that Harry wasn't wearing any clothes. It might take him a few cups of coffee first, but that would make it all the more fun when Severus then proceeded to spit out the hot drink upon noticing his surroundings.

Sure enough, five minutes later Severus was stumbling into the kitchen, wearing his bathrobe and reaching for the cup of coffee that Harry was holding out to him. Two cups later, and the man had finally reached some semblance of awareness. Harry looked at him expectantly as he poured yet another cup of the warm beverage for his lover.

This time, when he handed the cup to him, Harry made sure to lean over the table, letting his hair fall forward. As Severus sipped his coffee, his beautiful black eyes followed Harry's raven tresses downwards, until they framed his bare chest, which Severus eyed appreciatively. This in itself was nothing new, as Harry often wandered around without a shirt.

Harry waited until Severus had taken a large sip of coffee and straightened up, letting his hair continue to slide down his naked body. He grinned as his love's eyes followed the hair, then burst out laughing when Severus choked and spit his coffee across the table and his own lap. "Nice to see you're awake now, love. I was wondering how long it was going to take."

Severus glared at Harry as he waved his wand and cleaned up the spilled coffee. Growling, he set the cup gently on the table before leaping from his seat and tackling Harry, pressing him hard against the cabinets behind him and kissing the younger man senseless.

Harry, pleased with this reaction, responded eagerly, already becoming aroused as Severus' hands traveled across his torso. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Severus groaned as he leaned his head against Harry's chest. "Go away! I'm busy!" he yelled at the closed door, praying to every deity he knew that whoever was knocking would just go away and leave him alone to satisfy himself with his younger lover.

"You had better not be busy with my godson, Snape!" Sirius cried from outside, banging hard on the door. Severus groaned in dismay as Harry laughed. "It's okay, Sirius. I'm coming." Severus groaned again at this and Harry looked at him, puzzled, until he realized what he had just said. Chuckling, he whispered sensually in his mate's ear, "Later, love. We'll continue this later."

Severus shivered and nodded, heading for the bedroom to get dressed as Harry moved towards the door, using his Jachyra senses to 'see' who all was out there. It was just Sirius and Remus. He briefly contemplated answering the door in the nude, but that would likely set Sirius off and result in his godfather trying to kill his lover, which would be bad.

Well, there were always other things he could wear to amuse himself. Sighing, he waved carelessly and clothes appeared on his body—a tight pair of leather pants that fit like a second skin and caressed his body as he moved, a dark lavender shirt, almost black, that emphasized the brilliant violet of his eyes, and a pair of black suede boots that fit comfortable and were far more supple and pliable than they appeared.

Opening the door and welcoming his godfathers, Harry led them into the living room, where they seated themselves, waiting for Severus to arrive. Sirius asked about Harry's plans for the day, and Harry admitted that he had been thinking about going into Hogsmeade to do his Christmas shopping. Sirius and Remus decided to go along, which Harry welcomed.

Suddenly, Remus reached forward and picked up a piece of parchment. Harry winced as he realized that the werewolf had just picked up his drawing of the Unity Mark. Remus looked up at him, wide-eyed, and asked, "Harry, what is this?" Harry sighed, knowing that the man expected an answer and also knowing that there was no way he could lie about this. "Let's wait until Sev gets here, since I'm sure he'll want to hear this explanation as well." Remus nodded in acceptance, and they waited in a comfortable silence until the aforementioned man arrived, dressed and ready for the day's excursions.

Harry gestured for him to be seated, and Severus did so, eyeing Harry warily and wondering why he looked so guilty and embarrassed. Remus handed a piece of parchment to him, and he looked at the beautiful design embedded on it. Looking up quickly and catching Harry's gaze, he asked, "Is this what I think it is?"

Harry nodded, "It is. I drew it early this morning, which is why you haven't seen it before. That is the Unity Mark, although it's not quite complete yet. Well, it's as complete as it's going to get, I think, but not totally. I'm not making any sense, am I?" he babbled. Severus smirked and delivered a snarky comment about Harry's skills of observation and his normal pattern of speech, while Remus and Sirius tried to muffle their smiles behind their hands.

Harry sighed, and explained. "If it was complete, then there would be a wolf running rampant in the picture as well. These three symbols are here because they represent me, but they could also represent both Severus and Draco. Do you understand now?"

It was Sirius who figured it out first, much to everyone's surprise. "It's not complete because you aren't marking your bonded. If you marked them, the link would be different since you're already bonded." Harry nodded, stating, "Exactly. Also, the bond would go two ways. I could Mark all of my bonded, and the bonded would then work together to Mark me. The link would go two ways."

Severus blinked. "And is there a particular reason that you don't want to Mark us?" he asked, his tone mildly curious.

Harry's eyes widened and he shook his head frantically. "No, actually, I want to Mark all of you, and my Jachyra is pushing me into staking yet another claim on you, Remus, and Draco. I'd Mark Sirius and Lucius, as well, since they're connected to me through two of the bonded. I've been fighting it for a while now, but I don't want to Mark you if you don't want that, so I haven't allowed myself to think of it as a possibility."

Silence descended on the room as the wizards contemplated Harry's words. Severus was the first to break the silence. "The bond would go both ways?" Harry nodded. "Are there other benefits to being Marked?"

Harry nodded again and started talking. "If you all were Marked, you could communicate with each other without my interference in opening the mind-link. Also, you would gain not only added strength and endurance, but also my immunity from various curses such as the Imperious and the Killing Curse."

Sirius stared at him in incredulity. "You really are immune to the Killing Curse?"

Harry nodded, shrugging lightly. "It was in the Prophecy, that only Voldemort could kill me, if I didn't defeat him first. I killed Voldemort, and gave birth again to Tom Riddle. I remain immune to the Killing Curse now."

Remus nodded, and asked, "What do you gain from this?" It was a valid question, and Harry sighed.

"The same things Voldemort gained, only a little stronger. You won't be able to lie to me, much less betray me. I will be able to draw power from everyone who bares my Unity Mark, but with you three, Draco, and Lucius, you'll be able to draw power from me as well. I'll be able to pull off more complicated and intense spells, and you will be able to do something similar."

Severus asked, "What do you mean by similar, Harry?" The others voiced their curiosity as well.

The teenage wizard shrugged. "It changes for each of you. For you, I expect that you will gain knowledge about potions and such that you don't even have now, whether because the information has been lost or has not yet been discovered. For Remus, his transformations would become easier, and I believe that he'll end up more like I am, able to change at will except for on the nights of the full moon."

"For Sirius, I'm not really sure. Since he was an Auror, his defensive and offensive spells will probably increase significantly in power, and he might gain another animagus form. Actually, Severus, Draco, and Lucius would probably all gain animagus forms as well. I don't know what Draco or Lucius would get from the bond, either, since I don't know the elder Malfoy too well, and I'm not sure where the younger one's interests lie, since he's still too young to have a firm idea of what he wants to do for the rest of his life."

Severus frowned, "But why would the bond give me more potions knowledge? I don't understand."

Harry sighed and stated, "It's complicated." When his older lover just glared at him, he sighed and tried to explain it as best as he could.

"The two-way bond works differently than normal bonds. You'd probably gain animagus forms from me, but anything else is just the benefits of added power, mostly. You can't make some potions because the magic required is more than you are capable of giving all at once."

"With increased power, you could make those potions, and you'd also have plenty of excess power to experiment with potions that haven't been created since the time of Merlin and the Four Founders of Hogwarts."

Severus nodded and silence descended once again. They all jumped, startled, when the door opened and Draco came walking in, Lucius right behind him. Both Slytherins moved in front of Harry, and Draco spoke. "I would not mind having the Unity Mark, even if it could only be one way." Lucius echoed his sentiments, and Harry nodded, touched.

Behind them, Sirius cried out, "How'd you know about this? We didn't, and he said he just created the Mark this morning."

Draco turned to the blue eyed man and replied softly, "Harry opened the mind-link so that I knew what was going on, and I informed my father as I got the information. We decided to accept the Mark before coming over here."

Harry looked at Lucius, who nodded. Standing, Harry gestured for Lucius to remove his cloak and shirt, which he did quickly, presenting Harry with his back. Harry placed his hand in the small of Lucius' back—these five would not have the Unity Mark between their shoulder blades like the others would.

Murmuring under his breath, Harry watched in fascination as a warm silver glow surrounded his hand, transferring his Mark onto the skin of the man in front of him. Lucius shivered, and then did something totally unexpected—he chuckled. The others must have been looking at him wide-eyed, because he explained, "It doesn't hurt at all. It actually tickles, more like feathers running over the small of my back than anything."

Finally, Harry was finished, and moved back to look at his handiwork. Lucius obligingly remained still under his scrutiny, and soon the others came to look as well. There they all were—the griffin and serpent intertwined, with a rising phoenix in the middle. Only now, there was an addition. A wolf was above the phoenix, within the circle made by the serpent and griffin, body arched in a graceful leap. It was beautiful, and the others said as much.

Draco was next, and Harry Marked him the same as his father. Draco outright giggled when this happened, and Harry grinned. He wondered idly if the Weasley twins would ever become a part of this odd family, and decided that he wouldn't mind it all if they did.

When he was done with those two, Severus opted to get the Mark as well. This startled Harry, and he was quick to tell Severus that he didn't have to take the Unity Mark if he didn't want it. His lover just scowled at him and pointed out that as long as it was two ways, it was different from Voldemort, and he'd be bound to an infinitely better person. Also, there was so much to be potentially gained from the bond that it seemed inevitable and right to get it.

After Severus' touching speech—well, as touching as the man ever got—both Remus and Sirius agreed to allow Harry to Mark them as well. When he was done, he shook off his own shirt and lay down on his back on the floor, offering his chest to the five wizards. He had trapped his legs under his body and placed his hands behind his back, so that he was in a very vulnerable position, like a sacrifice.

When the others stared at him, he explained, "Your own symbols will be spread throughout on my chest, each in a different position. That way I will know who is contacting me and how to reach them." The others nodded and leaned down, each of them lightly touching Harry, pressing their hands against his bare skin and repeating the incantations after him.

Their hands began to glow as well, in all different colors—green, gold, silver, red, blue—and Harry felt a tingling travel through his body, causing him to shiver. Suddenly, as the final incantation ended, Harry felt little shockwaves shoot across his body before finally stopping.

Noticing the others staring at him in amazement and something akin to pride, he climbed to his feet and moved into the bathroom, looking in the full length mirror and smiling at what he saw. He was wearing three serpents, each a different color. The one from Severus was a pure black Basilisk, curled up over his heart. The Talisman Mark was behind it, and the Basilisk seemed to be keeping it at bay, making it dull and uninteresting in the face of the sleek serpent.

Lucius' serpent was a vibrant green color, with gold gleaming along its underbelly as it reared, ready to strike, on his left shoulder. Facing it, on his right shoulder, was Draco's serpent—a brilliant silver one with glowing blue eyes that stared knowingly out at the world.

Sirius' and Remus' Marks were both their canine forms, one on each hip, facing each other. The wolf was running rampant and howling. The Grim-like dog was bounding in unconstrained joy, relishing in its freedom.

In the center of all of them, playing over Harry's taut stomach, were the remaining two pieces of the Unity Mark—the griffin and the phoenix, both standing proudly, defiant.

All in all, Harry was very pleased with the new markings, and was grinning when he walked out of the bathroom, still sans shirt. When the others looked up as he entered the room, he flashed them all a genuine smile of pure, unadulterated joy, declaring, "This is so cool! I love it. It's like getting tattoos without having to worry about getting infected from the needles."

When all five wizards looked at him oddly, Harry found himself explaining Muggle tattoos. By the time he was done, a few of them looked slightly ill and agreed that this was much better. Having that taken care of, Harry insisted that they learn how to contact him and make him aware of whether or not they were in trouble without thinking about it or giving away that they were contacting him. Once they had that accomplished, he had them practice using the Unity Mark to contact each other.

Around two o'clock, they finally had everything figured out. They still needed more practice, but they all agreed that it was enough for one day. Besides, they still had to make a trip to Hogsmeade for Christmas presents. They all, with the exception of Lucius, who was needed at the Ministry, headed out of the school for the little town.

Fortunately, since this wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend at the school, they didn't run the risk of running into any of the other students. Once in Hogsmeade, they made a rough plan for the day, arranging it so that nobody would be alone, but so that each of them could get presents for everybody. Severus and Harry went together, as did Remus, Sirius and Draco.

They hadn't been sure how it was going to work out with an odd number of people, but the blonde wanted to visit Weasley's Wizards Wheezes. Naturally, this caught the interest of both Marauders, especially Sirius who knew of the twins, but had been 'out of the loop', so to speak, for the past two years, and for a good fourteen before that—twelve in Azkaban and then two more years running and hiding from the Ministry.

Harry and Severus visited the apothecary, the bookstore, the Quidditch supplies store, a clothing store, and a jewelry store before heading to The Three Broomsticks to get some butterbeer and to regroup. This time, Draco went with Severus while Harry went with Remus and Sirius. When Harry asked why they hadn't split up to get each other presents, the Marauders both smirked and told him that they had already gotten each other's gifts—they always got them early, in case one of them had to be gone over Christmas.

Harry nodded in understanding before making a beeline for the Shrieking Shack. When Sirius and Remus questioned what he was looking for there, he just smiled at them and didn't answer. Muttering a few charms, Harry soon had the door unlocked and ushered his godfathers inside. Once they were in, he moved out of the room and into another one, grinning when he found what he was looking for.

There, in the corner, was a trunk with several deep grooves along it, put there by Remus when he was still a student at Hogwarts, in the hopes that he wouldn't destroy it during the full moon. Harry enlisted the help of his godfathers to get the trunk back to looking like new, then pulled off a set of keys from around his neck and opened the trunk. Several times, in fact, each one unlocking a different compartment.

Sirius and Remus gasped as they realized that it was a magical trunk, like the one that Moody had. As he opened the final compartment, he pulled something out of it and turned to face his godfathers, licking his lips nervously. "I've been debating for a while whether or not this was a good idea. It was a gift to me for defeating Voldemort—I got quite a few of them—and I wanted your opinion."

The canine duo gasped as they realized that Harry held a pensieve in his hands. Sirius was the first to speak, "I don't know what to say, Harry. Allowing someone to see your memories is a symbol of either great love and trust or great desperation and need. I'm assuming that your reasons derive from the former. I know only that if anyone should ever offer me a look into their minds, I'd consider myself honored."

Harry nodded and smiled up at his godfather. "Thanks, Padfoot, I can't tell you how happy you just made me."

Sirius and Remus both moved forward quickly, wrapping Harry up in a three-way hug and holding on tightly. That Harry had come to them first was a great honor, as it showed that he valued their opinions.

After a few minutes, Harry laughed and rose, thanking them for being there. They promised that they'd be there whenever he needed him—and when he was ready to transport the trunk—and the three men headed back to Hogsmeade to meet up with Severus and Draco, laughing and just enjoying life in general.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs first and foremost to J.K. Rowling. Everybody else just gets to play with her world. If you recognize it, I don't own it.**

**Warning: Some crude language. Well, one word, I think.**

**Chapter Fifteen: Fun and Games**

Harry collapsed onto the pillows, exhausted, before turning to his side and facing his mate, smiling in a very self-satisfied manner. Severus just gave him a weak glare, muttering something about insatiable brats with uncontrollable libidos. Harry's smile turned into a smirk and he chuckled. "Yeah, but you know you love it," he replied.

In response, Severus reached out to him and pulled him to his chest, murmuring, "I love _you_, brat. I just put up with everything else." Harry giggled and nuzzled against his mate's chest. It was the evening after their shopping trip, and Harry had kept his promise, although he had altered the rules a bit.

Harry still allowed Severus to be dominant in the bedroom, but he wasn't about to take the man's teasing torture without a fight, so he had employed the Unity Mark on the man's back, tickling him at the most inopportune times, until Severus had finally given in and fucked him.

Harry sighed in contentment as he watched his lover and lifemate drift off to sleep, too many thoughts running rampant through his mind to follow Severus into the world of dreams. He had Marked them all today, and he really wasn't sure how he felt about that. On the one hand, he was content and satisfied with himself. His Jachyra had finally staked the ultimate claim on all of them, bonding their souls to him. He already had their hearts, and the only body he needed was his mate's.

On the other hand, he had Marked them, as Voldemort had done with his Death Eaters, and as Bellatrix was doing with her Skullbearers. It frightened him to have so much power over these people, even if it was two ways. He had been told before that he had a lot in common with Tom Riddle, and a part of him felt that his actions earlier that day served only to prove them right.

Eventually, his exhaustion won out and Harry drifted into a restless sleep, haunted by his own demons. Ghosts from the past rose to haunt him, and Voldemort was there, hissing in Parseltongue and reminding Harry that they had much in common, that Harry could rule the world if only he'd take the initiative. This frightened Harry, but externally, he remained still and silent, his body relaxed even in sleep, doing his best to avoid waking Severus.

A few hours later, his eyes flew open as a large furry body leapt onto the bed and into his lap. Scratch that. There were two bodies, and two rough tongues lapping at his face. Opening his eyes, he came face to muzzle with the Canine Duo, both of them grinning their doggie grins at him and wagging their tails so fiercely that their whole bodies were shaking.

Sirius turned to the man next to him and leaned down, lapping his tongue across the other man's mouth. Harry stifled a giggle as Severus bolted upright in bed, his wand pointed directly between Sirius' eyes. Well, at least, they would've been pointed directly between his eyes if Sirius was in human form. As it was, it was aimed about three inches above the Grim's head, which Severus corrected very quickly, scowling.

Remus moved suddenly and Severus' eyes swung over to him, widening impossibly as he rolled out of the bed and stepped back quickly, away from the werewolf. Not paying attention to anything but the wolf in front of him, Severus tripped over a book and went down, cringing away from the monster on the bed but not screaming. It was bad enough that he couldn't keep his face from showing fear.

Padfoot wagged his tail and made an odd huffing sound, which was apparently canine laughter, but Moony didn't join him. Instead, the giant wolf leapt lightly to the ground and lowered his head, tucking his tail between his legs, tight against his underbelly, and crouching low to the ground in a gesture of submission. He slowly crawled towards Severus on his stomach until he was next to the petrified man.

Reaching over, he gave Sev's hand a quick lick and whined, butting his head gently against the other man, asking to be pet. Severus obliged him, almost automatically, and Moony closed his eyes in bliss, tail wagging occasionally to express his pleasure. As the others watched, Severus gradually relaxed until he was petting the wolf lazily, turning his head to look at Harry, who nodded. Apparently, it had worked, and Remus now had enough power to shift at will, and without pain.

After a few minutes, Padfoot grew impatient and jumped off the bed, butting his head against Moony and nipping at him, demanding that he come play. Moony obliged, and the two friends bounded out the door, where they heard laughter. Apparently, Draco was there as well, with the twins. Harry grinned happily, then looked down at Severus, who was climbing to his feet.

"I see that I should startle you more often in the mornings, love. It wakes you up without your needing…" Harry drifted off as he realized that Severus wasn't even looking at him, but had collapsed back on the bed, eyes shut and breathing evenly in sleep, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Harry couldn't help it—he laughed outright. Severus wasn't awake at all; not even being faced with a werewolf had given him a jumpstart like coffee did.

Sighing, Harry climbed out of bed and got dressed, wondering if Severus would be embarrassed when he realized that both Sirius and Remus had caught him naked in bed. Smirking in evil glee to himself, Harry wandered out of the bedroom, greeting a smug-looking Draco, two grinning twins, and his two smirking godfathers. Moving past them, he entered the kitchen and prepared some coffee for himself and Severus.

Once the coffee was ready, Harry headed back to the bedroom, gesturing for his guests to move into the corners, winking slyly at them and grinning wickedly. Slipping into the bedroom, he held the cup of coffee under Severus' nose, teasing him with its enticing scent. Severus' eyes opened blearily and he sat up, drawn by the smell of the hot beverage Harry held in his hands.

Harry grinned and shifted backwards, keeping the coffee just out of reach as he ordered Sev to put on some pants first, then led him out of the bedroom. Out of the corner of his eyes, Harry saw the others muffling their laughter at the sight of a tired Professor Snape dragging his feet and shuffling blindly after Harry and the coffee.

After a good three cups of coffee, Severus finally woke up and groaned. "Dammit, Harry. Would you please explain to me what the hell just happened? I smell like dog," he growled, and Harry laughed.

"You mean to tell me that you don't remember petting our favorite werewolf just this morning? How could you have forgotten, Sevvie?" he teased, then froze when he realized what he had just said.

Severus, too, had frozen, but not for the same reasons as Harry. Apparently, he was still in a bit of shock over petting Lupin in wolf form to have noticed Harry's slip of the tongue. "I pet that mangy mutt? And he didn't rip me limb from limb?" he wondered. Then his brows furrowed as he frowned, "It's not the full moon, so how the hell did he shift?"

Harry sighed, relieved, and nodded. "Yes, you pet him. No, he didn't rip you limb from limb. He had his human mind in wolf form. And remember the Unity Mark? It obviously allows him to shift at will now, so the wolf is more like an animagus form with a few disadvantages. You might have an animagus form now, too. We'll try it when you're fully awake. By the way," he added, grinning outright, "Draco, the twins, Remus, and Sirius are all in the living room waiting for us."

Three seconds later, Severus choked on his coffee, spitting it across the table and onto Harry, who jerked back with a yelp when the hot liquid landed on his bare chest and arms. Severus glared at him and the Mark flared slightly, the bond letting Harry know just how upset Severus was. He cringed involuntarily, guilt written across his face, and Severus' cold eyes softened. "Go on, brat. Go get cleaned up. That coffee must be sticking by now."

Sighing, Harry climbed to his feet and headed out of the kitchen, moving towards the bathroom. Taking a quick shower, Harry dried off and dressed, but left his hair wet and tangled down his back. Grabbing the hairbrush and a blow dryer, Harry walked back out to the living room, where everyone was sitting and waiting for him, giving a cursory glance around for Salazar. The cobra often wandered the castle by himself, and Harry gave him free reign, provided that he didn't allow himself to be seen by the students.

As soon as he was out, Severus glanced at him. Noticing the supplies in his hands, Harry's lover stood up and motioned to the couch, where Harry sat down obediently, flipping his hair over the back of the furniture. Severus took the blow dryer and brush and immediately began working with Harry's hair, ignoring the others in the room as he untangled the knots and dried the raven tresses until Harry's hair gleamed in a shining, silky waterfall of hair down his body, framing his pale face and reaching down past his waist.

When he was done with Harry's hair, Severus left to go take his own shower and dress for the day. It was only Sunday, so they didn't have to worry about going anywhere or doing anything, for which Harry was grateful. Tomorrow, classes would resume, as would his training, and he wasn't ready to deal with that quite yet. He still had to come to grips with himself first. Harry wondered idly when he'd be able to meet with the first of those who might choose to serve him.

Noticing that the others were staring at him in amusement, Harry scowled. It was then that he noticed that the Weasley twins were nowhere to be found. They had disappeared while he'd been preoccupied, watching his mate leave the room. Eyes widening, Harry relied on his enhanced senses to locate them. Damn! They were behind him.

He dodged at the last moment, rolling of the couch and across the floor to come to a stop at Remus' feet. It was a good thing he had, because the couch where he had been sitting now sported a wet spot where a potion had landed on it. The two red-headed Weasleys looked at him wide-eyed, but it was George who spoke. "Blimey, mate, where'd you learn to move so fast?"

Harry grinned and waved his hand, wandlessly drying the couch so that nothing showed. "I'm a were-Jachyra, I have enhanced senses, as well as greater speed, strength, and agility. By the way, what was that potion supposed to do?" he asked curiously.

Fred and George grinned, very willing to talk about one of their new products. This potion apparently turned someone into the opposite gender, and as of yet, had no cure. However, it wore off in about a week's time, so the victim wouldn't be trapped in an awkward body permanently.

Harry just rolled his eyes at the twins' antics and suggested that they put the potion into candy, so that it was less obvious. Or perhaps into a drink, since most people knew better than to trust any candy given to them by the Troublemaking Duo. The twins nodded, grinning, but then sobered when Harry also suggested that they ask Professor Snape to help them come up with the counter-potion, just in case.

They seemed rather hesitant, until Draco pointed out how beneficial getting Severus' help might be. After all, if the counter-potion was too expensive to create in large quantities, then perhaps they'd look into adding warnings, or making the dosage smaller, which would subsequently reduce the time a victim spent as the opposite gender.

Not to mention that if it had to do with potions, it was sure to catch Severus' attention, and the potions professor had always admired the twins' brilliance with potions, even if he'd never admit it. The only reason he was so snarky with them was because he felt that they could have done far better in his class if they had applied themselves, and because a lot of their new pranks seemed to have been tested during his class, even with the twins no longer in school.

The twins agreed to give it a try, and Draco smiled at them, which seemed to please them greatly. Harry noticed the interaction and glanced over at his godfathers, who were wrapped around each other and also watching the interaction between the twins and Malfoy.

Catching his gaze, Remus winked at him while Sirius grinned, and Harry smiled back. Soon, everybody in his odd little family would have somebody. He had Sev, Remus had Sirius, and Draco would soon have the twins. Lucius still had Narcissa, and he assumed that they were happy together. Heck, even his best friends had each other. Harry was glad to see that everyone around him was happy and loved, but he couldn't help but worry…how long would this perpetual bliss last?


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I own only the storyline and Amarth. I do not known Harry Potter or any of the characters thus associated with it.**

**Chapter Sixteen: Alone Again**

Harry was nervous as he entered the Hogs Head, a small, dirty pub in Hogsmeade, Lucius Malfoy trailing behind him. He was to meet the first of his prospective Shadowen today. He had decided on the name 'Shadowen' because he fully intended to keep these people out of the public eye, in the 'shadows' of society, so to speak. Hence the shortened version of 'Shadow Entities'.

Lucius had been working hard to set up individual meetings between prospective Shadowen and the Boy Who Lived. Of course, he hadn't given them Harry's name, instead referring to him as the Shadow Walker, which Harry found amusing. After all, his life was anything but shadows, dragged into the spotlight for the whole world to see. Harry often wished that he could just fade into the shadows and disappear.

Honestly, Harry was shocked that none of the newspapers had discovered that he was a were-Jachyra, or who his bonded were. He was sure that there would have been leaks somewhere after Dumbledore had announced his………'condition' the year before, to warn the students, and then again after the Headmaster had informed the entire school about his engagement to Severus.

Harry's attention was quickly brought back to the present when Lucius' Mark tingled against his skin, as he introduced him to the ex-Death Eater sitting in the booth. "My Lord, this is Matthew Jennings. Matthew, this is my Lord, the Shadow Walker."

Harry reached his hand out and shook the other man's hand, establishing the novel idea that he considered Jennings to be his equal. He sat himself down and removed his hood, allowing the other man to get a good look at him, waiting silently as he observed Matthew in return.

Matthew Jennings was fairly young, perhaps in his early thirties. He had hair colored a soft brown hue with golden highlights that showed in the dim light of the pub. His eyes were a soft, steady blue, and his skin glowed with a healthy tan. He was dressed in semi-casual robes, intended to look nice and be comfortable, colored a deep blue that brought out his eyes.

Harry, on the other hand, appeared rather exotic, and he knew it. He had done a partial shift into Jachyra form, leaving him with longer, slimmer fingers ending in sharp nails, soft hair that more closely resembled fur, a more angular face that was dominated by large violet eyes, and a taller, more lithe physique. He was aware that he held an air of animal magnetism about him, and he intended to use it to the fullest extent.

He saw the glimmer of approval and respect in Matthew Jennings' eyes and congratulated himself. He had been right in guessing that most people would respect him more if he appeared secure and confident enough in his own power that he felt no need to intimidate and demand submission from others, as Voldemort had done. That self-assurance would come in handy.

Smiling amicably, he spoke, his voice soothingly deep, with traces of a growl in it. "I am pleased to meet you, Mr. Jennings. Is it safe to assume that Lucius has already informed you as to the purpose of this meeting?"

The older man shivered under the caress of Harry's voice and replied respectfully, "Yes, Shadow Walker. He mentioned that you wished to speak to me concerning my possible candidacy in becoming a Shadowen, and that there would be certain…benefits allowed in exchange for my services."

Harry nodded and smiled easily, showing his dainty feline fangs, but not threatening the man across from him. "You may refer to me as Shadow, and yes, that is indeed what I wish to speak of. I am aware that you are a former Death Eater, and I also know that the new Dark Lady, the Queen of Nightmares, has approached you, trying to recruit you to become one of her Skullbearers."

Matthew remained silent, neither confirming nor denying Harry's statements. Harry smiled again, violet eyes bright with amusement. "I've also heard rumors that she sends assassins after those who refuse, renouncing them as traitors to the cause. Although, I must admit, I am uncertain as to what 'cause' Bellatrix is speaking of."

Matthew's eyes widened and he stuttered, "Y-you know who s-she is?" Harry nodded and replied, "Of course I do. I know what she's doing and what she's planning. I know that she's obsessed with her cousin, Sirius Black, although I am not entirely sure why. It can't just be for the sole reason that he defiled the family name."

Across from him, Matthew stared at him intently, searching for something. Finally he spoke, "If I choose to serve you, what can I reasonably expect my servitude to involve?" Harry smirked to himself. This man had probably been a Slytherin in school. He was indirectly asking what he'd get out of the deal.

Harry answered honestly. "I'd Mark you, but it would not be a mark intended to cause pain. It actually creates a rather pleasant tickling sensation. It would be placed between your shoulder blades, where it can be easily hidden. However, if in the event that you are captured, show the Ministry officials the Unity Mark and they will release you to me."

"I will not use the Mark to summon you except in dire circumstances or for unexpected emergency meetings. Any other meetings can be arranged using owls. I would expect you to keep your eyes and ears open for signs of Dark activity and information on the Dark Lady."

"There are several advantages that come with joining me, not least among them immunity to the Killing Curse and the Imperious. Your natural defenses will grow stronger so that you can fight off most hexes and curses with relative ease. Also, should you have any family members, they will also be placed under my protection, and we shall do our best to not only keep your identity secret from any enemies, but if you wish, we can place your family under the Fidelus, with you as the sole Secret Keeper. There are more benefits, of course, but they vary according to the individual."

He finished laying down his offer and waited silently, pulling on Lucius through the Mark to keep his face patient and calm, betraying none of the anxiety he felt. Lucius had chosen Matthew as his first because the man was not truly Dark. He had joined the Death Eaters at the insistence of his older brother, who was now locked in Azkaban.

After a solid fifteen minutes of silence, Matthew looked up at him and nodded. "Very well, my Lord, I will join you." Harry just nodded in acceptance and rose, gesturing for the Matthew to follow him, Lucius trailing behind them. Leading them to a door in the back of the pub, Harry moved gracefully up the stairs and down the hallway, stopping in front of a door and gesturing for them to enter.

Once inside, Harry asked for Matthew's left arm, which was offered to him hesitantly. Harry ignored the frightened gaze and concentrated on removing the Dark Mark and severing the connection. While it no longer connected the Death Eaters to Voldemort, it did link them all to each other.

When he was done ten minutes later, Matthew stared at his arm in awe, touching it as if to make sure that the Mark had really been removed. When he was satisfied that it had been, Matthew dropped to his knees and thanked Harry profusely. Harry, slightly embarrassed, raised him back to his feet and waved away his thanks, stating that there was no need for it. He did want servitude from those he recruited, only loyalty and honesty.

Harry then had Matthew remove his robe and lay down on the bed, on his stomach. Straddling his hips, Harry reached down and gently pressed his hands between the man's shoulder blades, beginning to chant. The silvery glow appeared again, and Matthew shivered lightly as the Mark was set into his skin.

When he was finished, Harry rose and welcomed the man into his service before leaving the room and waiting for Lucius to guide him to his next appointment. He had six more meetings to attend that day. Jennings had only been the first. He still had to convince Mr. Adamson, Mr. Saunders, Mrs. Durell, Mr. Johanne, and Mr. and Mrs. Wynter. None of the names were familiar to him, which meant that they were probably like Matthew and had escaped Azkaban because they weren't major players among the Death Eaters, or had a legitimate excuse to avoid being put in prison.

BREAK 

Harry wandered into Hogwarts around seven that night, dead on his feet. Out of the seven people he had approached, all of them had accepted his offer and agreed to serve him. Unfortunately, removing the Dark Mark from them and then placing the Unity Mark on all seven people had drained his energy reserves. He could have pulled additional strength and power from his bonded, but then they'd grow suspicious of him, and he didn't want to deal with their questions just now. Lucius would keep today's activities to himself since Harry had asked him to.

Hearing a low hiss behind him, Harry whirled around and was confronted with a wall of gleaming black scales. Tilting his head up, eyes wide, he found himself gazing directly into the eyes of a giant Basilisk. Fortunately for him, the Serpent King didn't seem interested in killing him with its gaze, although it did appear to be rather murderous.

"Um…Sev?" he asked tentatively, since Severus' symbol in the Unity Mark was the only connection he could make. "Is that you?" The serpent just glared at him coldly before bending down to his level, a long tongue flicking out to taste along Harry's skin.

_You tassste of otherssss_ Severus hissed at him. _You were very closssse to othersss. You touched them, their sskin. Their magic tinglessss around you._ His tone did not hold jealousy, as he was secure in their bond, but it did hold curiosity, and the first hints of anger.

Harry flushed. Dammit! He had known that he wouldn't have been able to hide this for long, but he hadn't expected to be caught this quickly. Sighing, he replied, _I am sssorry, Ssseverusss. I will explain to you when we get down to our roomssss. I promisssse._

Severus nodded his sleek head in response and replied, _It had better be good, Harry._ He flashed fangs dripping with venom, and Harry gulped, flashing back on his last encounter with a Basilisk. He decided that trying to lie would be a very, very bad idea.

Behind him, Severus shifted back to human and they headed for the dungeons in silence, Severus fuming and Harry debating how best to present this without infuriating the already pissed off man. As soon as they entered the room, Severus pointed to the couch and Harry sat down, obeying the silent command as his mate retreated into the kitchen. He felt a light tingling all along his chest and realized that Severus was summoning the others. Shit. This was not going to go over well.

Severus came back out with some sandwiches and tea just as there was a knock on the door. Harry went to get the door to let their guests in, but Severus just glared at him pointedly and he sat back down, accepting a cup of tea while he waited for Severus to get the door. Remus, Sirius, and Draco were there, as was to expected, but the other guests surprised him. Both of the twins were there, as well as Ron and Hermione, none of which should have felt the summons. Meh, perhaps they had been with the others when the call came and decided to tag along.

As soon as he was in the door, Remus glided over to Harry, snuffling gently along his jaw line and throat, using his wolf to scent the people that Harry had been in contact with. Harry swallowed, but knew that there was nothing he could do about this, so he sat still and let Remus do what he wanted to do.

Satisfied, Remus moved back and sat on the couch beside Sirius, wrapping his arms around him and laying his head on the other man's shoulder, and they all stared at Harry, who shifted uncomfortably. He felt like a first year brought before his professors, aware that he had done something wrong and wondering if he was going to get punished, or how bad the punishment was going to be. It also reminded him alarmingly of the Dursleys, when they'd gang up on him and interrogate him, not giving him time to breathe and barely giving him time to answer.

Before they had time to question him, Harry shuddered and closed his eyes, answers spilling out of him. The others were all angry at him, apparently having either noticed his absence, or having been informed of it by others, and he was exceedingly anxious. These people had the ability to hurt him, a lot, and he couldn't do anything to stop them. He knew that he shouldn't be afraid of them, but Severus' anger and Remus' narrowed eyes and everybody else's stares had unnerved him.

Doing his best to avoid cringing in front of them, Harry did the only thing he could think of, and told them everything, stopping only after he had reached the point where everybody had arrived in his rooms. He didn't think, just reacted.

He felt something cool pressed against his lips and opened automatically, feeling a cool liquid pouring down his throat. Afterwards, he felt considerably better. Well, he was aware that he wasn't hyperventilating anymore, so he guessed that it was better. Sighing, he snuggled into the body beside him, seeking comfort in its warmth. Two arms wrapped around him and hair tickled his face. He recognized the feeling, and realized that Draco was holding him tightly.

He sighed again, this time in disappointment and sorrow. Severus wasn't holding him. He was his mate, and the older man refused to hold him just because he hadn't told them where he was going. He felt the couch dip and another body curl up behind him, and recognized Hermione's softer body snuggling against him. The two teens held him tightly, whispering soothing words in his ears, lulling him to sleep. Salazar slithered out from wherever he had been throughout the day and curled up, a comforting weight on Harry's wrist, but it didn't do much to help the young wizard.

Harry wasn't aware of Severus leaving the room, or of Ron following him out, eyes narrowed in anger. He wasn't aware of the lecture that his best friend gave to his lover, or of the chagrined look Severus bore when he returned to find Draco and Hermione still wrapped around him, rocking him gently as they offered what comfort they could.

Harry wasn't aware of Sirius and Remus glaring at Severus, or of Hermione and Draco snapping at all of them for hurting Harry. He needed the comfort of his family, of the adults. He needed to be told that everything would be all right, and that he was forgiven. He needed to know that he had done the right thing, and that they'd stick by him.

What he didn't need was for them to be angry at him and ignore him, neglecting to comfort him. He had lived with abuse at the Dursleys, but even Ron knew that it was the neglect that hurt him more than any physical abuse ever had. At least when they were hurting him, they knew he was there, that he existed, even if they hated him for being alive and under their roof.

Harry wasn't even aware of the chastised looks that the adults wore, or of Lucius entering and taking Harry gently from his son and Hermione, carrying him gently into the bedroom, cradled to his chest. All he was aware of was that he had some apologies to make, and that he was warm, but not because of his lover. He had people who cared, but he wasn't being comforted by the one person he wanted to comfort him. "I'm alone," was his last thought before slipping from consciousness completely, alone and cold despite the warm bodies surrounding him.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter et al. belong to J.K. Rowling. I am using her characters without her permission, for the entertainment of myself and others. I make no profit from this fanfiction.**

**Chapter Seventeen: Kidnapped**

Breakfast the next morning was a rather silent affair. Harry was miserable, but knew that anything he might say would only make things worse for him, so he remained quiet. Severus was debating how best to apologize to Harry. He knew now that the young man had done what he did because he truly believed it to be the right thing. And, Severus had to admit, his actions might very well prove to be invaluable against the Dark Lady.

When breakfast was finished, Harry excused himself, grabbed Salazar, and headed for the potions classroom, where he hoped to immerse himself in a new potion before Severus arrived and made things even more awkward between them. He was absurdly grateful that Severus hadn't followed him down. He had seen the remorse and chagrin in his lover's eyes, but a part of him wondered if his friends had lectured him, and if that was the only reason he looked so chastised. If the only way he could feel regret was when he had someone point out his errors, then it wouldn't do either of them any good.

Ten minutes later, the fifth year Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff class filed in and seated themselves. Today they'd be working on some advanced healing draughts. Well, more advanced than usual, at least. Harry just ignored them, working on his own experiment. He was testing various uses for cobra poison, which Salazar willingly supplied him with. Many potions used snake venom, but not necessarily cobra venom, and Harry decided to research potions that required that particular venom, and see what would happen if he substituted Salazar's venom for other ingredients in specific potions.

He hadn't had any luck in doing so yet, but he wouldn't give up hope. Sooner or later, he was bound to find something. He very carefully marked all his failed potions in an empty journal, theorizing on where he went wrong and making minor adjustments before trying again. He was moving along rather quickly, but hadn't quite managed to stabilize the potions for any length of time.

Sighing, he decided to use the spare time he had before Severus' arrival to talk to Salazar. Whispering quietly, aware of the other students in the room, Harry hissed, _Ssssalazar. Do you know what I need to counteract your venom to make thissss potion more sstable? Any sssuggesstionsss?_

The serpent just shook his head in the negative and hissed back _Of coursssse not, young ssspeaker. Our venom issss meant to kill our prey, not be usssed to heal it._

Harry snorted in laughter at this, attracting the attention of the other students in the room. Flushing lightly, he continued on with his potion, stirring it counterclockwise as he kept count and assured the other students that nothing was wrong.

Suddenly the door slammed open, causing everyone to jump and turn their attention towards the front of the class where Professor Snape had just entered. Only Harry, who had felt his life mate approaching, remained calm and continued to work silently on his potion, stirring in figure eights and debating whether or not crushed bat wings would work, or whether they'd blow up his cauldron. Of course, adding the bat wings could always simply null the potion's effects, depending on how fine he crushed them.

Professor Snape barked out his orders, directions already on the board, and sent the students scrambling for ingredients. While they were occupied, Harry felt Severus looking at him hesitantly, as if debating whether or not to come over. Harry sighed and used the mind link to convey a message. **_Don't worry about it right now, Severus. I know that you're a private man, and I doubt that either of us wants this to get out in the open._**

He felt Severus' reluctant agreement and forced his concentration back to his potion with a relieved sigh. He didn't have to deal with Severus right now, and he had the entire afternoon off. Remus and Sirius had a full schedule, so he wouldn't have lessons with either of them.

Harry had debated going up to visit Albus—they were on a first-name basis now—but decided against it. He really had nothing to say to the Headmaster today. Instead, he would go to the Shack and work on the pensieve. Despite yesterday's events and today's tension, Harry wanted to give Severus that intimate part of himself—a part of himself that not even Legilimency could obtain.

The morning flew by in a daze for Harry, who was aware only of his potion. He was debating the merits of using fairy dust commingled with rat spleen in his potion, to make it thicker and more potent. He had figured out that phoenix tears were required, but he'd just ask Fawkes for some of his tears later. He had no doubt the magnificent bird would give them to him willingly.

Finally, his class time was over. He promised Severus that he'd be back that evening in time for his defense class, then he headed straight to the hump-backed witch, opening the tunnel that led into Hogsmeade. Of course, he knew that Sirius and Remus could easily find him using this same path, but since he didn't have a lesson with them, he hoped that they wouldn't have any reason to come searching for him.

Harry sighed. He really didn't see any reason to continue these classes now that Voldemort was gone. After all, he was powerful enough in his own right, and he could probably take out Bellatrix any time he chose if he could just figure out what was protecting her and boosting her power. She was insane, but powerful, and that made for a lethal combination. Well, locating her might be a problem, too, he had to admit. After all, his visions only showed the room she was in, but not the area surrounding the building that held the room.

Harry slipped out of the tunnel and into Honeydukes' storage room. Quickly, he shifted into Amarth and slinked out of the building, heading for the Shrieking Shack. He was very careful to remain hidden in the shadows, disguising his presence from the other magical folk wandering the small wizarding village. He wondered briefly why he hadn't just gone through the Whomping Willow, and then realized that his Jachyra senses had known that the pathway was being guarded, without his human self even noticing. There was no point in getting caught because he wanted to take the easier route.

He finally reached the shack and opened the door, shifting to his human form once he was certain that nobody was nearby to see him. He pulled out the ring of keys that he carried with him and opened the last compartment of the trunk, pulling out the pensieve.

Concentrating on specific memories, both good and bad, he started placing them in the pensieve in an ordered fashion, showing his earliest memories first and moving to his most recent ones.

Some of those memories still hurt as if they were fresh, such as the abuse he suffered at the Dursleys, and the events of the Triwizard Tournament, as well as the memories that arose whenever a Dementor approached. His father yelling for his mother to grab Harry and run while he held them off; his mother pleading with Voldemort to kill her, but spare her son; the bright flashes of green light and evil laughter that filled his ears as he killed Lily Potter; even the memory of the pain he felt when Voldemort had marked him as his equal, thus ridding the world of the Dark Lord for over a decade.

Others made him smile and laugh. Time with his friends; the awesome freedom of flying so high above the ground; the joy he felt as Amarth when he ran; and most importantly, the overwhelming sense of 'family' that he had gained when he had bonded to Severus, Remus, and Draco.

Finished at long last, Harry sat back and closed his eyes, resting against the wall behind him. He had to go back soon, or else people would start missing him, and then he'd be in trouble. His eyes snapped open as he heard the door creak open. Quickly, Harry placed the pensieve in the trunk compartment and rose silently to his feet, creeping towards the front door.

The door was swinging idly in the breeze and Harry stepped outside, straining his senses to discover the identity of the individual who had opened the door. Smelling and hearing nothing out of the ordinary, his scent the only one near the Shack, Harry frowned and walked back inside. He'd use the path to the Whomping Willow to return to Hogwarts.

He was just thinking that he'd have to look into getting that door fixed before the next full moon when he was grabbed from behind and something was pressed against his mouth and nose. Shit! He had forgotten that a door could be opened from the inside as well. Whoever was behind him now had been inside the Shack this whole time, so he hadn't noticed. He must've been using a very strong magic to cover up his scent.

As Harry's mind wandered, he was vaguely aware that he was struggling, and that more arms were holding him down, even as his struggles grew weaker. He knew now what they had done. His attackers had used chloroform instead of magic, knowing through experience that he could break curses easily and use other spells as raw energy. So they had decided to use something that he couldn't fight against. Not to mention that his enhanced senses also made their attack that much more effective.

Harry realized idly that he should probably use the Mark, but he wanted to see where they were going first, and he wasn't focused enough to attempt it anyhow. They had won this battle, and they all knew it. Harry silently commended them on their victory as he finally succumbed to the darkness.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: Still the same. It's not mine.**

**Chapter Eighteen: Torture and Rescue**

Harry winced as he regained consciousness, being careful to not make any sudden movements. After all, it wouldn't do for his captors to know that he was up yet, now would it? He sighed inaudibly, realizing that he was naked, bound, gagged, and blindfolded. The nakedness would have likely kept him from going anywhere, even if heavy iron chains weren't wrapped tight around his wrists, which were pulled uncomfortably behind his back, straining his shoulders. His legs were bent and attached by a very short chain to his arms. At least, he thought ruefully, he wasn't so exposed in this position.

Harry growled in his mind and tried to shift into Amarth, but realized that he was far too lethargic to attempt the transformation. Whoever had captured him had done an excellent job of it, weakening him to the point of an average wizard. He was also at the disadvantage of not having clothes. While not necessarily a problem in regards to his escape, it was rather humiliating to be bared before the Skullbearers—who he assumed were the ones who captured him.

He felt a sharp stinging in his throat and realized that they must have shot him up with some sort of muggle drug that left him weak and unable to shift at will. He simply didn't have the energy. These people were clever—he'd give them that. After all, they had used muggle instruments, which Harry apparently had no defense against, to render him helpless.

A door opened somewhere to his right and Harry lifted his head in that direction without thinking, only to curse himself when a cold drawling voiced hissed, "Well, well, what have we here? It appears that the world's savior has finally returned to the land of the waking. Congratulations on your victory, by the way, Mr. Potter. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that it will be your last."

Harry heard the muffled shuffling of feet and felt the vibrations through his body, even as he was picked up by his chained wrists and dragged out the door and into a freezing room. His body was wracked with shudders and he called up his Occlumency skills, ignoring the cold and keeping any Legilimency experts out of his mind. This was not how he had planned on spending his day. Hopefully, the others would have realized that he was missing by now and would be looking for him.

The youth knew that he could use the Unity Mark in tandem with the bond and let the others know exactly where he was and what was happening to him, but he didn't want to risk it yet. He wasn't sure if its use gave off any energy vibes, and he'd hate for them to discover it and set a trap for his bonded. Of course, he also wanted to see what information he could get from these Skullbearers, though he'd just as soon avoid the torture that was sure to accompany any information he gleaned from his captors.

Still gagged and blindfolded, rendered as helpless as possible without being unconscious or dead, Harry heard the light tapping that announced someone's approach to where he stood, half held by the brutes behind him—Crabbe and Goyle, he'd guess, from their size and from previous visions. Holding people while they were tortured and punished had been their main role among the Death Eaters, and it seemed as if Bellatrix was following in her old Master's footsteps.

Suddenly, something cold and biting sliced across his collarbone and he yelped in startled pain. Apparently, they had decided to do away with the niceties this time and get straight to the torture, using muggle weapons, of course.

For over two hours, Harry remained there, held up by two men as patterns were carved into his flesh, biting his lip to keep from crying out, making himself bleed. His Jachyra healing capabilities, while slowed considerably by whatever was preventing him from shifting, still worked rather quickly, so that the same patterns could be sliced across his skin again and again, or stabbed into his body and twisted, in a seemingly never ending cycle. The whimpers that slipped from his lips were inevitable, though he tried to hold them back.

When they grew bored of the knives, daggers and swords, those holding him fastened him spread-eagled to a wall and the brands came out. Hot iron pressed to his skin over and over, oftentimes in the same place so that each reapplication caused more pain. This time, he couldn't help it, and he cried out, screaming. But still, he held his dignity. The screams were a way to release pain and rage at his own helplessness, but not once did he plead with his tormentors to stop.

By now, Harry was so weak that he couldn't even convert spells into energy, and he cursed himself as the Cruciatus echoed throughout the room, aware that he was twisting and writhing, mouth open in a silent scream. His cries were hoarse and he just knew that his vocal chords had been damaged. The Skullbearers jeered all around him, but he had long since lost the ability to make any sense of their words.

Almost finished for the day, the nameless Skullbearers that surrounded Harry began to physically beat him, not particularly careful to avoid vital areas, not caring if he healed them or if he died. If he healed, they'd have more play time. If he died, then he'd be out of their way for good, and perhaps he'd take that filthy traitor down with him.

When they were done, Harry was once again hauled up by two Skullbearers and dragged from the room, back to his cell, where he was tossed in haphazardly. Already losing consciousness, Harry had the feeling that there was something he should be doing, something that would help his escape, but he couldn't remember what it was. He promised himself to think more on it in the morning, when he had recovered a little.

As Harry drifted off to an uneasy sleep to let his Jachyra magic heal him, slow as it was, he thought he felt a light tingling all across his chest, and a slow spreading warmth over his heart, but he ignored it, not sure what it meant. Sighing, he let the darkness claim him.

BREAK 

The next few days followed as the first one had, with Harry waking up lethargic and stiff, naked, gagged, bound, and blindfolded. And every morning, he'd be dragged out of his cell and tortured. Every once in a while they'd try something new, such as rape, in order to cause him even further pain. For Harry, this was the worst torture of all, taking something that he had learned to cherish with Severus and turning it into just another violation, to be used for the amusement and satisfaction of his enemies, and he felt it keenly.

Every time they brought him out to 'play', Harry would remember the Unity Mark, and that in turn led him to think of Severus. Severus, Draco, Remus, Sirius, and even Lucius were all there in his thoughts, even while he was being tortured. He knew they were looking for him, and knew that he should use his Unity Mark to contact them.

But every day, he wondered if they'd be able to tell if he used the Mark, and by the time he was thrown back into the cell, he couldn't even remember what the light tingling sensations that ghosted across his skin were supposed to mean.

Finally, one day, he awoke only to realize that nobody had come to torture him. Glancing towards where he knew the door was, he realized that he could see as well. There was a plate of food and a large pitcher of water there, and he struggled to his feet, relieved to finally be able to stand on his own.

Staggering over to the food, he performed a quick check. Satisfied that it hadn't been poisoned, he wolfed it down quickly, aware that he'd never be allowed to keep any of it for later. After wetting his parched throat with the cool water, Harry moved back to the corner and sat down, thinking.

Suddenly, the tingling was back, racing across his body, and Harry shivered, grinning deliriously. Of course! The Unity Mark. He had always been too weak to activate it when he was alone, but now that he had gotten food and wasn't being tortured, he could call them.

Harry turned so that he was facing the wall and dropped the nearly impenetrable glamourie that he wore like a second skin, revealing all the individual parts of the Unity Mark spread across his torso. Concentrating, he called upon the green and gold snake, reaching out for the elder Malfoy. If anyone had a chance of getting him out of there, it was that man. He also trusted the man to be discreet, and wondered what type of help he'd bring.

Hearing footsteps quickly approaching, Harry concealed his markings once again and whirled around, crouching. He was determined to meet them standing this time, to show that he hadn't been broken yet and to boldly declare that he would never give them the satisfaction of seeing him weak. He'd hang on to his dignity until this ended, one way or another. He just wished that Bellatrix had shown up during the torture, so that he might have his chance at her.

Harry snorted as he glanced through the small, barred window. He had just gotten his wish. Standing there right outside of his cell was the Witch Bitch herself, and Harry snarled at her, violet eyes flashing furiously. The tyrant had the gall to laugh at him, sneering, "You might have teeth, little boy, but you can't bite. You wish to hurt me, I can see it, smell it, taste it, feel it. You wish I was dead, that you had killed me in the Ministry when you had the chance."

Harry remained silent, waiting to see if she was actually planning on doing something, or if she had just come to gloat. After a few seconds, filled with the sound of the bitch's pleased laughter, she spoke once again, "I'm sure you've heard of my nicknames by now, no? You're about to find out just how I earned them. You should feel honored," she mocked, "it's not just everyone that I torture in this fashion."

The boy in the cell choked back the urge to growl and try to rip the Witch Bitch's heart out…provided that she actually had one. Suddenly, a surge of power flooded the room, and he cried out as he was transported to another place.

_**Nightmare**_

Glancing around, he frowned, wondering why everything seemed so large compared to him.

Hearing a low chuckle, Harry's head whipped around and he stared wide-eyed at the man sitting on the couch. James Potter stared down at him, grinning as he asked, "What's wrong, little Prongsie? I warned you that your mother would restrict your movement if you kept toppling her fine china."

Harry blinked owlishly, staring up at his father. He could feel the warmth of the fire crackling against his skin. Glancing down, he realized that he was no more than a year old. A giggle echoed down the hall and into the room, and a smiling Lily Potter walked out the door, moving over to Harry and picking him up. "Come on, little one. It's time to get you to bed."

Still shocked, Harry didn't reply as his mother carried him to the crib, setting him in it and tucking him tightly. Just as his mother kissed his forehead, preparing to leave, Harry cried plaintively, "Mama?"

Lily turned back to him and smiled gaily. "How can I resist you when you talk so cutely and call out to me, my little son?" she teased. "My beautiful baby boy."

Lily reached down for him, preparing to pick him up and rock him to sleep, when there was a loud bang and quite a bit of yelling. Startled, Harry cried out, wondering what was happening in his house. He heard several voices and bright colors flew across the house as curses were cast and deflected. James yelled back to them, "Lily, go! Take Harry and run! I'll hold them off! Now!" he roared, startling Lily into action.

Determination in every line of her expression, Lily started moving towards the door, knowing that if she could get across the hall, there would be a trap door that she could use to escape with her son. Unfortunately, that was not to be. There was a solid thud in the living room, and Harry knew…his father was dead.

Harry's tiny voice raised into a wail as he screamed for his Daddy. Lily tried to hush him, but it was a futile attempt. Turning, determined to escape no matter what, Lily came face to face with Him…Voldemort. Stumbling backwards, Lily was forced back into the nursery as the Dark Lord smirked down at her and her son.

Lily had nowhere to go, so she set Harry in his crib and went to pull her wand. Voldemort disarmed her before she had a chance, and Lily crouched protectively over her son, reduced to pleading for his life. "Kill me, but spare him. Please! Take me. Leave my son. Let him live! Please!"

Voldemort just smiled cruelly and muttered two words, "Avada Kedavra." Harry's mother died right there, and Harry, not understanding in his infantile stage, screamed for his 'mama', even as Voldemort's chilling laugh filled the room. The Dark Lord lifted his wand and pointed it at Harry Potter, aiming for his head. "Avada Kedavra!" he cried, and the green light that had taken away his mother rushed towards Harry.

Harry screamed when the green light hit, hurting him. He was lost in the darkness, but was not dead. It was no matter, though…they were gone. His mother and father, dead because Voldemort had wanted to kill him.

And Harry was alone, again. Always alone.

_**End Nightmare**_

Harry was snapped out of the nightmare and realized that he was on his knees, tears streaming down his face. His throat was hoarse again, and he realized that he had been screaming. Malicious laughter filled the tiny cell and Harry pressed his hands tightly over his ears. Now he knew why she had her nicknames, he thought idly. She was truly a living Dementor, able to bring his nightmares to a reality that even the wardens of Azkaban couldn't manage. The air crackled with magic, and Harry realized with an ever-deepening sense of dread that Bellatrix had fed off of his fear, his screams and his pain.

He was given no more time to recover as Bellatrix reached forward with her power once more, sending Harry screaming into a world of nightmares from which he saw no escape.

BREAK 

Harry didn't know how much later it was before he realized that the nightmares had stopped and Bellatrix appeared to be nowhere in sight. He frowned lightly. Why would she stop torturing him, if she enjoyed it so much? Not that he was complaining. In fact, he decided that he'd really appreciate it if she never came back with her nightmares and shadows.

Hearing light footsteps outside his cell, Harry tensed once more, hating himself for the whimper that escaped his clenched teeth. However, when the person spoke, he nearly cried with relief. "Mr. Potter? Are you there?" He affirmed his presence, greeting Mr. Malfoy politely, and in a dead voice.

Once his identity had been confirmed, Harry heard three more voices. Apparently, he had contacted Lucius when Draco was there, and the blonde boy had wanted to come along to rescue him. Fred and George were with them, as well.

Harry wondered idly why these four had been the ones to rescue him. Hearing screams and loud bangs coming from a little farther away, he understood. The Malfoys, because they were good at this, and Severus would have completely freaked. The twins, because they had been needed to set up a distraction.

The door to his cell swung open, and Harry heard three gasps when they caught sight of him. Apparently, Lucius was perfectly capable of hiding his own reaction, or else this didn't bother him. After all, Harry Potter was still alive and sane—well, as sane as he ever was. Not to mention that he had undoubtably seen far worse than a ragged, disheveled, tear-streaked young man before.

Lucius gestured to Draco, and the silver-eyed boy picked Harry up, cradling him gently against his chest. Harry rolled his eyes and murmured, "The Jachyra's healing factor kicked in. I'm just fine, Draco, so stop worrying, would you?" Draco just clutched him tighter, making him wince. Okay, so maybe he wasn't quite as all right as he believed himself to be, but still…it had been a lot worse before he had started healing the latest bout of injuries.

He felt magic skim along his body and realized that Lucius was doing a general check. Apparently satisfied, he nodded and held out a portkey. "He'll survive the trip intact, and it shouldn't hurt him any further. He seems so weak right now because they used something to tamp down on his Jachyra magic." The others just nodded and grabbed onto the stick Lucius was using as a portkey. Harry sighed and grabbed hold as well. 'Here we go,' he thought as a strong jerk behind his navel signaled the activation of the portkey.

When they came to a stop, Harry glanced around and noticed that they were in the Hogwarts Infirmary. He fought an urge to groan just as Madam Pomfrey bustled up to them, getting him situated in his bed—he landed here often enough to have his own bed—and pouring potions down his throat. He felt the potions strengthening him and ridding his body of whatever drug was in it.

His Jachyra healing factor kicked into high gear once the potions had burned the drugs from his system and started working on his body, but it caused a lot of strain on his mental state, and he closed his eyes, exhausted. He'd need to sleep for a few days after this.

Opening his mouth, he tried to tell the others, but Fred—at least, he thought it was Fred—whispered to him, "Shh, mate. It's all right. You sleep now and we'll tell Severus that you were recovered safely. Oh, and Sirius and Remus brought you something. It's in that box on the table. They said it was yours and you might want to finish it."

Harry nodded tiredly and they left. Harry turned his head lethargically to the side and saw the box. He knew instinctively what was in it. Knowing that it was a bad idea, he pulled forward his magic and summoned the pensieve to him. Quickly, he pulled out memories of his torture and set them in there. It wouldn't be pleasant for Severus to witness, but it would mean a great deal to him to know that despite what he went through, he still loved Severus. And he planned on proving it just as soon as he woke up.

Banishing the pensieve and its box to his godfathers' room, Harry smiled softly. They'd understand what he had done, and would keep its existence a secret for now. Harry sighed, too exhausted to bother waiting up for his life mate, no matter how badly he wanted to see him, to reassure him that he was all right. He settled for sending a wave of love and warmth through the link they shared, as well as the Unity Mark, then let sleep claim him once again.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.**

**Chapter Nineteen: Sex God**

Harry groaned lightly as he struggled from the depths of sleep and into the world of the waking. "Harry?" a voice asked tentatively beside him, and Harry frowned. The voice was familiar, but it sounded hoarse and tired and choked with tears and hope.

"Sev?" he asked softly, and was rewarded as his mate's hand took his and squeezed lightly.

"I was getting worried when you wouldn't wake up," Severus admitted as Harry slowly opened his eyes to stare at a disheveled Potions Master. "Your injuries were fully healed two days ago." Harry blinked, then shrugged, still scrutinizing Severus. The man looked like death warmed over, with drawn in features and red-rimmed eyes.

"My Jachyra magic had been put into full use to heal me, and it had been healing me through whatever drug those idiots had me under. It exhausted my magic supply somewhat dreadfully, not to mention that it's near the full moon and I needed to build up energy for the transformation," he explained in a monotone voice, and Severus flinched.

"Harry, please, I'm sorry," he said, his eyes pleading with Harry to understand. "I was just so afraid when you left to gather the Shadowen without telling us…telling me…where you were going. I've been trained not to show any weakness, and fear is considered to be just that, so I hid behind my anger. Then, when I nearly lost you, I realized that I had no right to act that way towards you. You only did it without telling me because you knew I'd try to stop you. I'm sorry, Harry, and I regretted not telling you that sooner," he said all in one breath, and his expression was sincere.

Harry just sighed and turned his face towards the ceiling. "Do you have any idea how bad I felt for doing that? And then, you didn't even give me a chance to explain why I had done what I did. You left me, as did Sirius and Remus. Draco and Hermione had to take care of me. I have no doubt that Ron would have done so, as well, if he wasn't so busy reaming you out. Tell me," he demanded, staring straight into those onyx eyes he so loved, "if this had not happened, if I had not been…kidnapped, would you have apologized? If you had not feared for my life, and my sanity, would you have ever told me you were sorry? Answer me honestly, Severus."

Severus just stared at him, face inscrutable, and Harry sighed, closing his eyes in weariness. "That's what I thought," he murmured. "Please, just go away for now. I love you, you know that, and I always will, but I'm not very happy with you right now. You've assured yourself that I'm fine, so go do whatever it is you do now. Terrorize students, dock House Points from Gryffindor, bait my godfather, but leave me alone."

He waited in tense silence as Severus stood and walked slowly to the door. Turning to face the boy in the bed, he whispered, "I would have apologized regardless…eventually." Harry ignored him, but knew that Severus was telling the truth. Of course, by adding eventually on to the end, he gave himself an awful lot of leeway in exactly when he apologized.

Sighing, Harry rose and decided to visit the Gryffindor Tower. He didn't know what day it was or what time, but it didn't matter. If his friends weren't there, then they would be eventually, and he'd just wait. He just needed to get out of the Infirmary, and he didn't want to return to Severus. By the same token, he wanted to avoid Sirius and Remus as well.

Slipping out of the Infirmary behind Poppy's back was easy, and soon he had shifted into Amarth and was on his way towards his friends. As he drew near, he caught the scent of Draco and the Weasley twins, and grinned. It looked like they had finally gotten together while he'd been gone. Perhaps Draco had only been seeking comfort, but he had obviously found two people who were willing to offer it to him freely.

Growling lightly, Harry manipulated the wards and the Fat Lady swung open, letting him inside. Grinning in feline satisfaction, Harry slunk inside the dorm, moving swiftly in the shadows. He checked quickly, and was pleased to discover that only Draco and the twins were there. Apparently, Ron and Hermione were still in class, but it was probably their last one.

Quietly, eyes dancing in mischief, Harry slunk behind his prey and crouched, tensing his muscles. Lunging, powerful muscles uncoiled, launching him directly on top of his victim, who screamed at the unexpected attack. Growling low in his throat, Amarth lowered his face until his muzzle was just inches from his victim's throat, baring sharp, tearing teeth. He opened his mouth…and proceeded to give Draco a huge, sloppy kiss.

Draco Malfoy laughed, reaching up and trying to push Amarth off of him. "Hey, big guy. It's good to see you too. I was wondering when you'd be up here to bother us. Or even if you'd be up here at all."

Amarth shifted back into Harry, still on top of Draco, and grinned down at him. "I don't suppose you have any clothes up here that I could borrow, do you?" he asked, gesturing to the hospital gown he wore.

The twins laughed at him, and George pushed him off of Draco, grinning. "Don't worry about it, mate. We've got some clothes you can wear. We're staying overnight, since we'll be busy until Christmas and won't be able to come here so often." Harry nodded his appreciation and followed the boys upstairs, where they handed him a pair of tight black leather pants, a tight t-shirt that showed off all his muscles, and a dog collar, made of supple black leather and complete with silver studs.

Harry narrowed his eyes as the boys pulled out two leather armbands with silver snakes embedded in them, and a pair of black leather boots that went up to his knees, with decorative silver snake buckles. "You two planned this, didn't you?" The twins just grinned at him, and Draco moved behind him and started brushing out his hair, braiding it and twisting a silver piece of leather through the braid. "Why?" he asked plaintively, not that he really had any complaints about the clothes…nope, none at all.

"We knew that you'd probably have a temporary falling out with Severus," Draco supplied for him, "as well as both of your godfathers. We wanted to do something to cheer you up, and we wanted to see their reactions to your new style."

Harry frowned and turned his head back to look at Draco. "My new style?" he asked suspiciously.

Draco nodded and grinned. "Yeah, your new style. While you were gone, we weren't allowed to do anything to help, so we went shopping for an entire new wardrobe for you. You're gorgeous, and most of your old clothes didn't show you off enough."

Harry sighed, but then grinned at Draco, showing him that all had been forgiven. "So, how 'bout you all show me this wardrobe of mine, hm?" The twins gladly complied, and soon Harry's newest wardrobe was spread over all five beds in the room, and Harry's eyes were boggling. Apparently, they had gone all out for him, and hadn't put any of it in his room yet…probably because they weren't given access while he had been gone.

Harry now had half a dozen pairs of leather pants, some tight black jeans, and a few jeans in other colors, such as dark blue, medium blue, and gray. He also had slacks for the business casual appearance. There were t-shirts, mostly in black or some shade of violet or blue. There were a few other colors in there, but not many.

Then came the silk shirts, some of them plain and short-sleeved, while others were long-sleeved. Some of them even had lace around them, but it was still rather stylish, not really lace, just a pouring of extra fabric along the front and down past the arms of the shirt, intended to flow over his hands.

There were also a few pairs of boots, and a few pairs of nice dress shoes. There was even a pair of tennis shoes thrown in there, black of course. After that came the jewelry, mostly in black or silver, and Harry shuddered. Silver stung him as it did lycanthropes, but it wasn't deadly to him. Reaching out gently, he caressed a silver snake choker, and shivered as a delightful burn spread throughout his fingers. When he looked at his hand, there was no sign that the silver had hurt him at all.

Grinning now, he looked back down at the jewelry, and frowned. Pointing to some of the objects, he asked, "What are these for?" Fred moved forward and grabbed Harry's chin, turning him towards his twin, who held his wand out. George whispered a muttered spell, and Harry blinked, wondering what had just happened.

He felt Draco move behind him and turned to see the blonde holding up a silver serpent earring. Reaching for Harry, he placed it in his ear, smirking. "I could do the other ear, if you'd prefer, since you actually are gay."

Harry just smirked and shrugged, enjoying the tingling sensation in his earlobe. "It's up to you, but I'm blaming any consequences of your actions on the twins." Draco's eyes widened in mock horror, and they all laughed.

Purring now, Harry turned to the clothes and jewelry and banished them to his and Severus' rooms. He planned to forgive the man; he just wanted to make him sweat a bit first. The same went for the canine duo.

Turning back to his bond-brother and the twins, he grinned. "I'm assuming you actually paid for all of this out of my account, right?"

Draco grinned right back at him, confirming his jesting accusations. "Of course we did. They're for you anyhow, so it only made sense that they be paid for with your money." Harry shook his head in mock exasperation, but knew better than to complain. After all, they would have done this regardless. The only difference was that they didn't drag him along this time, for which he was immensely grateful. He hated shopping for clothes. It took far too long, and he hated being ogled at.

Swinging his head towards the door, he said, "We've got company. Ron and 'Mione have returned." Draco bounced and headed down the stairs while Fred and George led Harry to a bed, pushing him so that he was laying down on it, his hair curled up at his side like a long, thick tail.

Shooting identical grins at him, they twins moved in perfect synchronization towards the door, waiting to greet their little brother and soon-to-be sister in-law. Everyone knew that Harry's two best friends were madly in love with each other and would end up marrying someday…everybody but them, of course. They were dating, but they didn't realize just how much they truly loved each other, or that the feelings were mutual.

A few moments later, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and he sank back into the bed, letting his eyes slit closed in a facsimile of feline satisfaction or serpent cunning, depending on who you asked. Then he waited as he heard Ron and 'Mione greeting the twins and asking them about the surprise Draco had mentioned. Grinning, the twins each took of his best friends and covered their eyes, then led them over so that they stood by the bed Harry was currently laying in—Ron's, if they hadn't changed since he had last slept in the room.

When the twins removed their hands, Ron and Hermione just stared down at him, uncomprehending. Then Hermione's eyes widened and she shrieked, "Harry! You're all right!" and she pounced on him, wrapping him in a tight hug. As his lips turned blue, Ron flashed him an apologetic smile and pried his girlfriend off of Harry. Then they took a good look at him, and their eyes widened. It was Hermione who spoke first. "You're gorgeous, Harry," she breathed. "Are you trying to impress anyone in particular?"

Harry shook his head. The only one he ever needed to impress was Severus, and he didn't need these types of clothes to do it. Although they were rather comfortable, and his best friends' reactions to his new style served as a major ego boost, raising his self-confidence once more, so he wasn't going to complain. Then he realized that this had been Draco's intention all along, and he shot the blonde a grateful look.

Draco just grinned and opened the mind-link, murmuring, _There's another reason that we did this. The twins would also like the Unity Mark, to be bound to you through me. They agree with you and what you're trying to do, and they say that they have no objections to being inducted into our little family. Besides, I rather think I'm in love._ Harry chuckled out loud, causing Ron and Hermione to look at him in concern, which he just waved away.

He replied, _Very well, then. But only if they're sure. I'll meet you in your quarters tonight around eight, and I'll Mark them then. You do understand, though, that once they're bound to me through you, they can't leave? The common Shadowen can, because their bonds don't go both ways, as the twins' will._

Draco frowned slightly as he asked, _Will the Mark change again with their inclusion?_ Harry assured his bond-brother that the Mark would remain the same, since they'd be linked through Draco. Of course, then Draco wondered why the same hadn't applied to his father. After all, the elder Malfoy got his own design, the green and gold serpent. So why wouldn't the twins?

Harry frowned this time. He wasn't sure why it worked that way, he just knew that it did, and he told the other boy so. Draco just shrugged and pulled the twins from the room, no doubt leading them downstairs for some celebratory 'bonding time'. Harry relaxed and allowed himself to be smothered by his friends, enjoying the guilt-free attention.

He could always count on these two to help him by providing a great deal of stability in his life, and by offering him comfort while demanding nothing in return. Well, sometimes Hermione would ask questions, but once Harry made it clear that he didn't want to talk about it, she'd let it drop and just offer her undying friendship and silent, comforting presence.

Eventually, dinner rolled around. Harry was glad to learn that it was a Friday, and that Christmas was in two weeks. Of course, the full moon was in only two days, and that dampened things a bit, until he remembered that he'd be able to run with Moony again. Provided, of course, that the werewolf had done his fair amount of groveling for forgiveness before then. Harry smirked at the thought as he allowed his friends to herd him towards the Great Hall.

Before walking inside, he pulled forth his Jachyra a little and allowed the animal magnetism to take effect. Walking gracefully, his lithe body moved muscles that most humans just didn't have. His large violet eyes and body language showing his self-confidence, he threw forth his magic and the great oak doors slammed open, attracting everyone's attention.

The Jachyra in him enjoyed the silent awe that his presence inspired, and Harry couldn't help but follow along. After all, people stared at him all the time anyway for being the Boy-Who-Lived, and then the Man-Who-Defeated-Voldemort, so he figured he might as well enjoy it, and give them all a reason to stare. Gliding into the room, he moved fluidly, wasting no energy on needless movement, flowing across the floor towards the Gryffindor table, where he seated himself just as gracefully, head held proudly, aware of all the stares boring into his back.

Suddenly, a loud wolf whistle filled the hall, followed by cries and cheers, and Harry grinned at his two best friends. Draco slid in across from him, surrounded by the twins, and he knew where the wolf whistle had come from. Draco was laughing, "Oh, dear Merlin, Harry! You are positively sexy in those clothes, and then you stroll in here like you own the place. This is bloody fantastic. I expected people to notice you, but not for you to make sure they did."

Harry just shrugged, but couldn't prevent the pleased smile from gracing his lips. "I just figured that since I'd attract attention anyhow, I'd give into my Jachyra instincts and let them all notice me. I tend to be a bit more…aggressive…as the full moon nears, as well. Since my usual venue is closed to me for a while yet, this is the next best thing."

Draco blinked, then flushed when he realized what Harry was talking about. Harry smirked, satisfied at having caught the other boy off-guard. He meant it when he said he was more aggressive near the full moon. That included his speech, as well. He'd easily say things that he'd never admit any other time unless under some major duress, but now it seemed natural. He still used a bit of discretion, respecting the fact that they were surrounded by younger students who hung onto his every word, but even that couldn't keep him from implying certain…interesting tidbits of information.

Self-satisfied, Harry finished his dinner in a leisurely manner before standing and gliding back out of the room, making sure to sway his hips slightly for his rapt audience. He paused right outside the Great Hall, listening, and cracked a grin when the student body burst into a frenzy of noise and speculations. It seemed, though, that they all agreed on one thing—Harry James Potter was damned sexy when he wanted to be.

Harry, pleased with himself, headed down towards the dungeons, intent on reaching Draco's rooms on time, and knowing that he'd be waylaid at least twice. Sure enough, he heard a familiar voice call his name halfway down the hall and stopped, turning around to see his godfathers behind him. They invited him to their private chambers, which he accepted, following them a little further down the hallway he was in.

Once inside, silencing charms and various other wards went up, and tea was prepared and offered, before they turned to him. They apologized for their earlier behavior first and foremost, and Harry easily forgave them. He knew that their behavior was not out of anger, but more out of shock. They had been surprised to learn of his activities and unable to act when he wanted them to. It was Severus who had lashed out in anger, not them.

After he had assured them repeatedly that their transgression was forgiven, they turned to a new topic—his clothes. Harry grinned at this and told them of Draco's shopping trip with the twins, and the results. He summoned his outfits from his closet and showed them to his godfathers.

Remus asked about the silver jewelry, and Harry picked a different necklace, a silver chain with an engraved wolf's head pendant attached to it. Carefully, he looped it over Remus' head, and the werewolf took a sharp intake of breath, then smiled, a deep rumbling growl of pleasure emanating from his throat.

When Sirius asked him, wide-eyed, what was happening, Remus opened the mind-link and let Sirius experience the pleasant burn. It was like when you had knots of tension massaged out of your back—it stung at first, but left you limp with satisfaction at the end, relaxed and content and feeling abso-bloody-lutely wonderful.

Leaving the necklace with Remus, Harry banished everything else back to his closet and left, promising to visit the other men for a while the next day. He also promised to let them borrow some of his outfits sometimes, an offer which Sirius took great delight in. Right before he left, they informed him that they had brought the trunk from the Shrieking Shack, and it was now in Draco's room until he decided what he wanted to do with it.

Harry nodded his thanks and continued on his way down to the dungeons. This time, he almost made it when an owl swooped through the halls, dropping a note into his extended hands before leaving again, not breaking stride. Harry quickly opened the note and smiled. It was a request from Severus, asking Harry to visit him later that night so that they could talk. Harry knew that the request was as close as he'd ever get to receiving a plea from the man, just as he knew that he'd go to him tonight, and forgive him.

Harry wondered idly if he'd be able to make love to Severus that night, or perhaps the other man would make love to him. The rapes didn't appear to have affected him to any great extent, and he knew instinctively that it was because of his bond to Severus. He knew that the older man would take care of him and wouldn't hurt him, no matter what. Well, not intentionally, at least. Some of his verbal barbs and reactions hurt Harry, but he had realized long ago that they were defense mechanisms for the man's own insecurities.

Harry wrote a reply, agreeing to meet the other man at ten that evening, and banished the note to their rooms. He then proceeded to walk the rest of the way to Draco's room, glad that he had shown up in his new outfit at dinner. That way, the students had been required to return to their common rooms and couldn't 'accidentally' bump into him and grope at him while 'catching their balance.' That trick was used quite a bit in the school, and he had fallen victim to it more than once, especially since his Jachyra traits had left their mark on him.

Upon reaching Draco's rooms, he once again manipulated the wards and entered, seeing Draco and the twins cuddling together on the couch. They looked up when he entered, and Harry smiled at them. He wasted no time in explaining about the bond, then had them remove their shirts, which they did eagerly.

Harry straddled Fred's hips first, and grinned when the older boy started teasing him and wriggling under him, encouraging him. He rolled his eyes. They all knew he wouldn't take Fred up on his offer, so they didn't mind a bit of playing around. Harry gave Fred a massage in retribution, and only marked the twin after he was little more than a boneless puddle of flesh on the floor.

Finished with Fred, Harry moved onto his twin, and soon both twins bore the Unity Mark on the small of their backs. He then lay down on his back and let them rest their hands to his chest, repeating the words to the spell after him. He felt a light tingling and when he looked down, he couldn't help but laugh. The silver serpent now had twin markings down its side, stripes of a brilliant red.

Draco giggled and Harry looked over at him, gesturing for him to turn around. He did so and noticed that Draco's Unity Mark also had the red stripes on the silver serpent, the same with the twins. Opening the mind-link, he asked his godfather's if the same thing had happened to their Marks, and they confirmed it. He explained what had just transpired, then severed the connection, letting them get back to their activities.

Grinning, Harry welcomed the twins into his Shadowen ranks, informing them that they were members of the Inner Circle, so to speak, which meant that they had greater protection than the others, and that the Mark went two ways. He then explained the dynamics of the group. They had to listen to no one except him and Draco, and even then, they were free to argue or refuse. No one else had any sort of authority over them, not even Severus, Harry's mate.

Finally, ten o'clock drew near, and Harry made his excuses and left, informing them that he'd be leaving the trunk with them until Christmas. Whistling happily, Harry slipped through the door connecting Draco's rooms with his and Severus'. Now, he just had to extract some apologies and some promises from his lover, and everything would be just peachy. He fully planned on making Severus beg tonight, one way or another.

Harry smirked in gleeful anticipation of the next few hours, and slipped behind his lover, embracing him from behind. This was going to be a long night.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: S.O.S. (Same Old Stuff). Not mine. Just the storyline.**

**Warning: Just a teeny bit of language. So sorry.**

**Author's Note: **Ummm….I may have missed it somewhere, but a lot has happened here that I never wrote a chapter for. I'm afraid that you're just going to have to take it as a given that what's mentioned in here happened somewhere between the last chapter and now (which is Christmas, and a little over a month after the last chapter.

**Chapter Twenty: Christmas Terrors**

His prey was in sight, completely unaware that he was being stalked. The soon-to-be victim's breathing was even and its eyes were closed in peaceful slumber. The predator moved forward silently on padded feet, staring intently at his oblivious prey. Growling low in his throat, the creature pounced, landing solidly on top of his quarry, grinning as the dark eyes flew open in surprise and fear before settling into a sleepy glare.

"What do you want, brat?" Severus asked gruffly, trying to turn over and bury his face in his pillow.

Harry just grinned down at him and said, "C'mon, Sev. It's Christmas. You have to get up so we open our presents. I'm making everybody wait for you, so get up!"

He continued to beg Severus to get up for the next ten minutes until Severus finally sat up, throwing a full-fledged glare at the younger man. Harry just smiled back, unrepentant, as Severus shook his head resignedly, climbing out of bed with a sigh of mock exasperation.

Harry waited impatiently as Severus took a shower. Half an hour later, they finally exited the bedroom to be met by five impatient faces. The twins had decided to come visit their lover for Christmas, having shown up unannounced the night before, much to Draco's delight. They'd be taking Draco to the Burrow later that night to meet the rest of the Weasleys. Draco had been given permission from his father to stay for Christmas Day, provided that he came home the following day, to which he had readily agreed.

Once they were seated, and after Harry had located Salazar and scooped him up, the gifts were passed around, amongst much noise and laughter. Ron and Hermione, who had gone to the Burrow for the holidays to visit with Ron's parents and to announce that they were now a couple, had left their presents with Dumbledore, and they were in the pile as well.

The seven wizards took turns opening their gifts, working in couples. Remus and Sirius went first. From Harry, they got a photo album with pictures of their new 'family'. This gift touched Remus the most. He was a sociable creature by nature, but had lost most of his pack one at a time over the years. First James and Lily, then Sirius, who he lost twice, once while the man was in Azkaban, and again when he had been sealed away beyond the Veil. Peter had never really been a part of his pack, but he was dead now, too. The photo album told him more than words ever could. He had a pack, and they were there to stay this time.

From the twins, the two men received a blank piece of parchment. Sirius raised a questioning eyebrow and the red heads grinned, taking the parchment and tapping it twice with their wands, stating, "I solemnly swear, I am about to create havoc." A map appeared on the parchment. At the moment, it showed Hogwarts, much like the Marauders Map, but the twins explained that it would also show Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley, the Forbidden Forest, and the Ministry, depending on where the current owners were when they activated the Map of Mischief.

Needless to say, the gift pleased the two Marauders to no end, especially when they learned that it was the only copy, and that the key to reverting it back to a blank piece of parchment was, "Chaos has reigned." Of course, this led to a debate about whether or not the twins were better pranksters. Finally, the twins pointed out that most of their jokes and pranks were inspired by the Marauders. Remus and Sirius finally settled for naming the twins and Harry their successors in the pranking business, at which time Harry admitted that he was already a silent partner in Weasley Wizard Wheezes, due to his initial investment in their company. This pleased his godfathers to no end.

Draco gave each of the men matching rings, gold bands with white-gold edging and a ruby in the center. On the inside, they said simply, 'Remus loves Sirius' and 'Sirius loves Remus'. The two lovers put them on and smiled when the rings shrunk to fit firmly onto their fingers. Draco told them that they could remove them by willing it, but otherwise, they'd remain in place, even while the two men were in animal form.

From Ron and Hermione, they each received a book. Sirius' book was a self-updating book on famous Aurors through the ages. Opening it to the marked pages, he found himself and James, as well as some other people who had been in his House. He grinned, noticing that the newest name in there was Harry Potter. Looking up at his godson, he teased, "I didn't know you became a famous Auror, Harry. In fact, I didn't think you were an Auror at all."

Harry snatched the book from his hand and read the page, then groaned. "I'm not, but I guess defeating Voldemort must have put me in there. Dammit. I really don't need this." The others just laughed at him, and Remus glanced down at his book, his eyes widening. Opening it quickly to a marked page, his grin split his face as he let out an excited cry, showing it to Sirius, who also yelled out in joy.

Harry, wondering what was going on, moved behind them and read, "Werewolves Permitted to Adopt Provided Proper Safety Measures are Utilized." Apparently, this was a very new law, and they still couldn't have children of their own, but this was the next best thing. Harry wondered when this had happened, why Remus hadn't known about it, and how Hermione had gotten her hands on it.

Feeling eyes boring into him, Harry blinked and looked up, realizing that both of his godfathers were staring at him. He grinned at Remus and hugged him, whispering, "I would love it if you'd adopt me officially, too."

Moving back to his seat, he waited for Remus to compose himself before he and Sirius opened their next gift. It was from Severus, and they laughed when they pulled the top gifts out—identical dog collars with tags and leashes included. The three men had become friends in the past few months, but they still teased and baited each other whenever they got the chance. The main difference was that there was no longer any malice behind their actions.

Underneath the collars was the real gift…a piece of parchment that declared Sirius Orion Black and Remus J. Lupin as the official guardians of one Harry James Potter. Eyes wide, they stared at Severus, who shrugged. "Don't look at me, I just recommended it and got the process started. Albus was the one who got you to sign where you needed to."

The Marauders' eyes widened even further, and Harry could see that they knew exactly when they had been tricked, not that they seemed really upset about it or anything. Albus must have charmed the papers to appear as something else…or else stuck them in the middle of some very, very boring papers that had to be signed. Sirius, in particular, rarely gave more than a passing glance to any papers he was given by someone he trusted.

Once they recovered, the two men enveloped Harry in a huge hug, then turned to Severus. Remus elbowed his mate in the ribs and Sirius sighed in mock resignation. "Must I," he whined. Remus just gave him a very eloquent look, and Sirius sighed loudly in resignation. Turning to Severus, his voice grew formal as he said, "As Harry's legal guardians, I give you my blessing to marry him this May." Remus echoed his sentiments, and Harry turned to Severus, a question on his lips.

Severus answered his unspoken question. "Since the engagement has already been made formal, they actually could not have stopped the marriage, but having their blessing will make the union stronger, and it will also bind us more tightly to them, as a family. If they had rejected the marriage, then our link with them would have been weak." Harry nodded in understanding, then launched himself at his godfathers, smothering them with kisses. Then he gave the same treatment to Severus, while the others looked on, laughing in delighted amusement.

Draco and the twins opened their gifts next. They didn't receive anything from Ron and Hermione, since they'd be seeing them that evening. From Sirius and Remus, they got an entire book of pranks, written by the Marauders—Prongs, Padfoot, and Moony, of course. From Harry and Severus, they received their own set of bond rings—three silver rings with gold edging, one with a ruby in the center, and two with emeralds, representing the Houses of Gryffindor and Slytherin.

After they had opened their gifts, it was Harry and Severus' turn. From the twins, Severus received a self-updating list of all their pranks and how they worked, which would guarantee that no more students would be able to perform ready-made pranks in the potions classroom, much to Severus' utter delight. When he questioned the twins, they grinned at him and pointed out that they were no longer in school, so it was now every man for himself. If the students wanted to play pranks in Potions, then they'd best learn to be creative.

Harry received a notice of his portion of the profit in Weasley Wizard Wheezes, as well as an Imperturbable Cloak, which fascinated him, as well as his godfathers. Apparently, it was even better than the Invisibility Cloak because it blocked all sound from escaping, and didn't cast any shadows in daylight. It also kept people from bumping into you, even in a crowded corridor. Severus upon hearing this, but Harry just grinned and promised his lover that he wouldn't use it to get into trouble. To that Severus muttered, "Of course you won't. The trouble usually finds you." This, of course, resulted in laughter from the canine duo and a blush from Harry, followed by a retort that it was about time he understood how things worked around Harry.

From Sirius and Remus, Severus received the Marauders Map, along with instructions on how to use it, and…lilac shampoo. He rolled his eyes at the two Marauders as they laughed at him, eventually giving in and chuckling himself. After all, turnabout was fair play.

Harry received a locket from Sirius and Remus that opened up and showed him whoever he wanted to see. He spent several minutes opening it to find pictures of his parents, of Severus, of Draco and the twins, of his godfathers, of his two best friends. There were even pictures of Hagrid and Dumbledore in there if he wanted to see them. He thanked Remus and Sirius profusely as he slipped the locket around his neck, letting it rest against his skin under his shirt.

Finally, most of the presents were done. The only ones left were the ones that they'd be giving each other in private. By now it was lunch time, so the seven wizards headed up to the Great Hall, which was mostly empty as the entire student body went home for the holidays, no longer afraid now that Voldemort was gone. Of course, they hadn't been informed of the Dark Lady yet, but the Order (and Harry) was hoping that Bellatrix would be destroyed before she had time to haunt a nation that had known peace for such a short period of time.

Lunch was a quiet, pleasant affair, with just the staff members present, along with Harry and all his bonded. Afterwards, they were roped into playing some Christmas games with the Headmaster and the other faculty, and they all found themselves enjoying it, especially the teenagers and Sirius, who really hadn't grown up all that much.

After an enormous Christmas dinner, everybody excused themselves and went their separate ways. Severus and Harry went straight for their rooms. After all, they still had to give each other their gifts. Once they were safely inside and comfortably ensconced on the couch, Severus handed Harry a photo album. Opening it, he saw the Snape family tree, as well as the Snape ancestral home.

His eyes wide, he gazed at Severus. "Does this mean what I think it does?" Severus nodded and smiled. "Yes, Harry, after we are bonded, and after school has finished, Snapes will once again inhabit the ancestral home. It needs some repairs, of course, but it should habitable with relative ease."

In reply, Harry launched himself at Severus, knocking him backwards and practically strangling him with an iron embrace. Once he let go, he held up his hand and called, "Accio trunk." A large multi-compartment trunk floated into the room, and Harry reached into his pocket, pulling out the ring of keys.

Picking one out, Harry opened a compartment and pulled out a…pensieve. When he turned to face Severus, the man was staring at him in surprise and amazement. Harry offered the bowl to him silently, and Severus accepted, just as wordlessly. He looked at Harry imploringly and Harry nodded his permission. Severus touched the pensieve and was pulled into the memories that lay there.

Harry sat back and waited, watching his lover carefully. He didn't want to worry the man, but he knew that this meant everything to Severus, and he didn't want to be the one to end it unless he had no choice. Harry was just debating whether or not to fix himself and Severus some tea for when he came out of the pensieve, when his scar flared in agony he jerked to the side, hitting his head on the small coffee table in front of the couch.

His eyes rolled back in his head, and he realized too late what was happening. His last thought was, "Oh, fuck. She's still linked to me, the bitch," before he was pulled down into a world of nightmares, where his worst fears were paraded before his eyes, and he relived his parents' deaths over and over and over again. Finally, the nightmares ended, and he was pulled instead into a vision.

_**Vision Begin**_

Harry was back in the same chamber he had visited before, when he had first seen Bellatrix. Glancing around, he noticed that the number of Skullbearers had increased exponentially. There were at least a hundred of the disgusting beings here, Harry thought with contempt. Fucking stupid sheep.

His attention was diverted to the front of the room as Bellatrix Lestrange entered, and Harry's lips curled back in a silent snarl as he itched to transform. However, he wasn't sure if he could transform in his vision, or if doing so would alert Bellatrix to his presence. Deciding he couldn't risk it, he settled down in a shadowed corner to wait. Besides, he still had to wait for the aftereffects from his nightmares to pass, and focusing on a meeting and the information he could gather would help him to calm his mind.

Calling forth half a dozen Skullbearers, she bid them give her news. Harry listened intently as they muddled their way through explanations as to why they hadn't found the Talisman yet, and where they were planning to look next. He'd inform the Order of their plans so that action could be taken to prevent them from finding anything. At the very least, the Order of the Phoenix could lead them to a dead end as they pretended to guard an area where the Talisman wasn't to be found.

Harry listened as she introduced three others into her ranks, memorizing their last names. He rolled his eyes in impatience when she delivered a speech along the lines of, "They (meaning the Order and the Ministry) don't stand a chance, as long as we are united." Utter rubbish, in Harry's opinion. It was just the ravings of a madwoman.

A very powerful madwoman, he amended silently as she turned against those who had failed her and delivered them straight into their worst nightmares. At least, that's what he thought she was doing, judging by her self-satisfied smirk and the cries and whimpering of the terrified Skullbearers.

Harry sighed. He hadn't learned anything particularly useful, but he still had information to share with Dumbledore. As the meeting adjourned, he felt the gentle tug that indicated his removal from a vision.

_**Vision End**_

Harry awoke to a worried Severus Snape crouched over him, calling his name. When he saw that Harry's eyes were open, Severus calmed, his face drawn and tired. Harry offered a weak smile of comfort and caressed his mate's face with his fingertips. Sev turned into the touch, and Harry smiled again, stronger this time.

"What happened?" Severus asked softly. "When I came out of the pensieve," here his voice broke, "I found you on the floor out cold and screaming as if you were being hit with the Cruciatus. Were you?" he asked anxiously, and Harry shook his head.

"The Cruciatus? Not exactly. Apparently, I still have a link with Bellatrix, and she decided to send me a little Christmas gift of her own. I was reliving my parents' death, my capture, Sirius' death, and several of the worst visions I had while Voldemort was still in power. Some of those involved the use of the Cruciatus curse, though, and I think that was what I felt."

He shuddered and Severus gathered him close, holding him tightly, even as he summoned the anti-Cruciatus potion and helped Harry to swallow it. Then he laid them both out on the bed and curled around Harry, facing him. Harry could tell that he had a lot he wanted to say and ask, but he was refraining from doing so just yet, for which Harry was grateful. He just wanted to sleep, safe and comforted in his lover's embrace. Harry sighed in contentment as he drifted off to sleep, and Severus held him tightly.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: Only the storyline is mine. Everything else belongs most probably to J.K. Rowling.**

**Warnings: Mild sexual scene (nothing graphic…more sensual than explicit…not sure that actually cleared anything up for you) sweatdrop**

**Chapter Twenty-One: Sudden Death**

Harry was in Dumbledore's office, again, telling him the proceedings of the previous night's vision. He was still rather shaken -- Bellatrix had a huge army already, and it was only a matter of time before she started moving. Harry knew full well that last night's crowd was nowhere near all her Skullbearers, and he was worried about where they'd strike first, or if there would be any warning.

Harry had sent out owls that morning, telling the Shadowen to keep their eyes and ears open and to alert him if there was any indication that an attack was about to take place. After talking with Harry, the Headmaster had sent out some members of the Order, giving them similar instructions and deploying some of them to various people's homes, ensuring that they would have help should they be attacked.

Harry's stomach had been in knots all day, and he didn't know why. He felt that something bad was about to happen, and his instincts usually weren't wrong. Unfortunately, last night's vision had given him no information on intended targets, and the Shadowen had not been able to send him any concrete information, although he acted on what reasonable intelligence he had received from them, deploying some Shadowen to all likely targets.

He was just getting ready to leave when Dumbledore turned to face the door to his office, looking expectant. With a call of, "Come in," the door opened and an anxious Lucius Malfoy strode into the room, turning to face Harry.

Not bothering with the niceties, the elder Malfoy started in on the bad news. "The Skullbearers are on the move. They are portkeying or disapparating, several dozen at a time, each group heading in a different direction. It appears that our Christmas gift from the Dark Lady is a wide-scale attack that ensures that the entire Wizarding World knows of her existence."

Harry's eyes widened and rage boiled inside of him, but he clamped his lips over the invectives he wished to spew forth and demanded, "Where are they headed?" Perhaps if he knew that much, he could head off some of the Skullbearers and contain the damage that would occur that night.

Lucius shook his head, admitting, "We were unable to track their movements. We have no idea where they're headed, or why." This time Harry did curse, long and loud.

After he had managed to regain some semblance of normalcy and his breathing had calmed, he turned to Dumbledore. "Headmaster, sir, could you please see what you can find out? I'll be trying to find out what's going on as well, and perhaps with the both of us working, we'll be able to stop the attack before it gets completely out of hand." Turning to Lucius, he asked the other man to return to the Ministry and warn them of the attacks, using whatever means were necessary to get them to mobilize the Auror divisions.

After Lucius had left for the Ministry, Harry went to walk out the door. Before he made it, he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he looked up into the face of the wise Headmaster, who said simply, "Let's do our best, shall we?" Harry nodded in agreement and Dumbledore's hand fell away as the old man turned back to his desk, intent on contacting the Order members that weren't yet positioned and could still be moved.

Harry returned quickly to the dungeons, calling his bonded to him as he went. By the time he reached his chambers, Severus was waiting anxiously for him. Sirius and Remus were on their way. He knew that Draco and the twins would know shortly, when Dumbledore contacted the Weasleys to warn them and ask for their help.

Severus opened his mouth, probably to comment on Harry's leaving before he awoke that morning, but Harry just shook his head, giving his mate a look that clearly said, "Later." Nodding in concession, Severus closed his mouth and they waited for Sirius and Remus to show up.

Once they were there, Harry left the rooms and the others followed. He was heading back up to the Headmaster's office to get instructions. Dumbledore was better at this than he was, and he needed the old wizard's expertise and guidance for the upcoming battle. Harry explained to the others what Lucius had just reported, and they made it to the Headmaster's office in record time.

Not bothering to knock, Harry entered, and the older men followed him, faces set in grim determination. Dumbledore turned to them and smiled in greeting, but the familiar twinkle was missing from his eyes, leaving a hard gaze in its place that made them shiver. Dumbledore was a wizard to fear when he was angry.

Quickly, Dumbledore asked Harry, "Do you need your other bonded?" Harry understood the concern, and was grateful for it.

He shook his head. "I don't really need any of them nearby to function, but I know that they are important in this fight. We can be separated if it proves necessary." Dumbledore nodded, then turned to the other men. He sent Severus to the Ministry to help Lucius in convincing the Ministry that a new Dark Lady had risen and needed to be stopped before she gained overwhelming power. Arthur Weasley was Minister, so he already knew, but too many officials would doubt, and they'd need all the help they could get.

He sent Remus and Sirius to help guard Hogsmeade. Diagon Alley had enough wizards and witches in it that they should be able to hold their own for a short while with enough warning. Turning to Harry, he opened his mouth and was about to give him his orders when the young wizard froze, his eyes glazing over. Dumbledore waited anxiously for him to pull out of his daze.

When Harry turned to face him, his face was pale and he whispered, "They're dead. The Dursleys, I mean. They killed them." Dumbledore's eyes widened and he started planning immediately. He felt no regret for the Dursleys' deaths, but he knew now what they were doing. The Skullbearers were attacking all the muggle families that had a witch or wizard living there. What better way to strip the wizarding world of its half-bloods and muggleborn children than to take away all their support?

Striding over to the fireplace, he threw in floo powder and contacted Arthur, warning him about what was happening and ordering him to send Severus to warn the others from the Order, and then to warn the towns that were most likely to be attacked.

Having reached the same conclusion as the Headmaster, Harry was already moving, contacting his Shadowen. He summoned them to right outside the anti-apparition wards around Hogwarts and ran down to meet them. Once there, he sent them in various directions, sending them to guard the houses of the muggleborns. He didn't have many Shadowen, as there weren't many ex-Death Eaters who were willing to be bound to him. Most of them had either gone to Bellatrix, or else had chosen to remain out of the fight, taking neither side.

Cursing, Harry shifted into Amarth and bolted back up to the Headmaster's office, seeing if Dumbledore had anything in particular for him to do. As soon as he entered, Albus Dumbledore took one look at him and asked him to do the last thing he had ever expected to hear from the man. "Harry, Amarth, I need you to summon forth the snakes and send them to the various houses. You can use your familiar to contact other snakes, right? I need them to bite any of the Skullbearers they can reach. We need to contain this, and fast, and there are very few wizards who would expect an attack from the ground."

Amarth nodded in surprise and raced back down the corridors, meeting no one and making it to his rooms in no time. Quickly, he shifted back into Harry and called for Salazar. When the small cobra slithered up to him, he hissed, _Pleasssse, Sssalazar, I need your help. People are under attack by the bad men, and I need you to contact your brethren and ask them to attack the evil wizards, the ones that bear sskullsss on their flessh_."

Salazar just bobbed his head up and down in acknowledgment, then stilled as he contacted the snakes -- particularly the poisonous ones -- that were anywhere near a muggleborn witch or wizard. His job completed, Salazar pulled out of the trance and looked up at Harry, hissing softly, _Many of them sssay that they are too late and cannot help the man-children, but they will sssstrike thosssse bad men who remain._ Harry nodded sadly -- he had known that it would probably be too late for some people, but he was hoping that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't.

Debating quickly, Harry snatched up Salazar and fled the castle, disapparating once he reached the end of the wards. He reappeared right next to Severus, who he had located through the Mark. Severus didn't bother greeting him, but tore a piece of parchment in half and handed it to him. Glancing at it, Harry realized that it consisted of the names of people and towns that had yet to be contacted.

With a quick nod to his mate, Harry disapparated once more, moving at a rapid-fire pace to warn as many people as he could as quickly and efficiently as possible. Occasionally, he'd be too late, and a town or home would be destroyed, or be in the process of being attacked. Whenever Harry came across the former scenario, he'd apparate out immediately, knowing that he was of no use in that town. For the latter, he'd loan his own magic just long enough to give them a fighting chance before apparating out to warn the other homes still on his list, and those who were warned ahead of time often held out long enough for help to arrive, or else evacuated before the attacks occurred.

The serpents had done their jobs, and dozens of Skullbearers were apprehended that night, poisoned by swift, venomous fangs. This would make the Ministry's job much easier, since they now had proof that Skullbearers existed, and it was only a matter of time before they could convince the Wizarding World that these witches and wizards had a leader who wished to become the next Dark Ruler of Britain.

Harry knew that he was running himself ragged, using up all his energy to fight and apparate from town to town, but he kept moving, knowing that lives depended on his actions. Every time he ended up involved in a battle with the Skullbearers, he took several of their attacks and converted them into energy to keep him conscious and moving.

Harry was cursing when the fighting finally died down and he was able to return to Hogwarts. Dammit! He should have known. Bellatrix had been so quiet lately, and he had just seen how large her army was. Of course she'd attack. And she'd do it when everybody was home, spread out all over Britain rather than gathered in Hogwarts, where some of the best protections in history existed. What better way to ensure that you wiped out hundreds of people in one fell swoop than to get them while they were weak and unsuspecting?

Harry knew that they had made a huge mistake in not informing the Wizarding World of the newly risen Dark Lady, but they had really thought they could handle her before she gained too much power, if only they could locate her. Now it was too late, and they'd have to try and salvage what they could.

Trudging into Hogwarts, Harry couldn't help but feel that something was terribly wrong, but he brushed it aside. People had died that day, in the hundreds. Entire villages had been wiped out, everybody in it either dead or taken prisoner. Of course something was wrong.

Shivering, Harry climbed up the stairs to the Headmaster's office and was invited in before he raised his hand to knock. Slipping inside, his own mournful eyes met those of the Headmaster, and he realized that the wizard was looking his age, the twinkle gone and his body slumped down behind his desk. He had been busy organizing, and had been fighting whenever he got the chance. He was exhausted.

Harry sat down in the chair in front of his desk when the Headmaster indicated that he should do so with a weary wave of his hand. After a few tense seconds of silence, Dumbledore sighed and spoke, "We lost four members of the Order -- no one you know intimately," he assured Harry, causing him to release a breath he didn't know he was holding. "We lost over thirty students and their families in today's raids, and the entire Wizarding World has been thrown into a panic. We still have a few people straggling in."

Harry nodded. He could feel that neither Remus nor Sirius had returned yet, but they were safe. He could sense it through the bond. "What are we doing with the people who have had their homes and towns destroyed in tonight's attacks?" he asked curiously.

Dumbledore replied quietly, "They have been temporarily moved into Hogsmeade until we can find or build homes for them. Those who received only minor injuries are here in the Hospital Wing, and all the other injured people were sent to St. Mungo's for treatment."

Harry nodded again, then excused himself. He wanted to check on the others, make certain that they were all safe and uninjured. Moving down towards the dungeons, he met the entire Weasley family, bar the twins, all of them uninjured. When he inquired, Harry was told that the two Weasleys were with Draco at the moment down in his quarters. Harry smiled in thanks before moving further down the corridor.

He checked in on his bond-brother and Draco's lovers before continuing on his way to Severus. Slipping inside, he was relieved to see the older man there waiting for him, unharmed and anxious. Harry smiled and embraced the other man, burying his face against his mate's throat and just letting the older man's scent soothe him and reassure him that they were both all right.

Severus sighed above him, and Harry could hear the weariness and pain in the small sound. He knew that this mass attack had brought memories crashing forward in his mind, memories of Dark Revels and ambushes on the innocent, where the Death Eaters had tortured and killed any that stood in their path.

Tilting his head up, Harry caught Severus' lips with his own, pressing against his lover in a show of comfort. Severus relaxed and responded, accepting Harry's offer. Slowly, Harry moved them towards the bedroom. He knew that they both needed to forget, if only for a little while.

Slowly, carefully, they undressed each other, never completely losing contact. Harry pressed Severus gently back towards the bed, until his mate's knees hit the side and he lay down, Harry crawling on top of him to cover him with his warmth. Harry's vibrant lavender eyes held Severus' own onyx ones as he caressed the pale flesh beneath him, bending down for another soft kiss.

This night was more about comfort than passion, and the two bodies intertwined in a soothing dance, pale skin almost ethereal in the moonlight. Lips traveled languidly over bared flesh, and hands soothed small hurts, tracing old wounds and healing them. Sweat-slicked skin slid together, comforting and offering hope. When their bodies finally joined, the ties that bound the two lovers together flared open, and pleasure was taken and received, given and cherished.

Comforted, if only slightly, the two men cuddled close, taking solace in the other's presence. In tomorrow's harsh light, they'd have to face the consequences of their actions -- or failure to act -- and try to prevent any more deaths from occurring. For tonight, though, they could rest, content in the living, breathing presence of their soulmate.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: S.O.S. Not mine.**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Serpent Messenger**

Harry bolted upright in bed, breathing hard. Immediately he felt the bond flare open and he reached out, reassuring himself that all his bonded were safe and in Hogwarts. Sirius and Remus had apparently straggled in a few hours ago, and were sleeping restlessly, probably haunted by yesterday's attack, as they all were.

Looking to his side, Harry smiled sadly, seeing that Severus' face was strained even in sleep. It hadn't been that way since Voldemort's defeat, and Harry mourned those that had been lost in yesterday's battle, as well as those who had survived, only to lose family and friends. No one was free of the fear anymore.

Harry pulled himself out of his depressing thoughts and noticed haunted pools of obsidian staring back up at him. Leaning down, Harry gave his life mate a gentle kiss before sliding out of bed and retreating to the bathroom for a shower.

When he finished, he moved into the kitchen to make some coffee while Severus got ready for the day. Harry was just glad that school wasn't back in session yet. He wasn't sure that Severus was in any condition to teach classes, especially if any of them involved volatile potions ingredients.

Sighing disconsolately, Harry sat at the table and waited for Severus. When the older wizard finally entered, he wordlessly handed him a cup of coffee as Severus slumped down into a chair, and they drank in silence. Harry was wondering what topic Severus would bring up this morning -- the pensieve or yesterday's battle -- and Severus was debating whether or not Harry would talk about the memories in his pensieve. The emotions stirred up by the previous night's attacks were still too raw for him to think on them for long.

Severus broke the silence first and said, "Harry, I'd like to ask you a few questions about the memories I saw in your pensieve. Will you answer them?"

Harry shrugged and nodded, replying truthfully, "I will answer as much as I can, as honestly as I can. However, there may be some memories that I'm not ready to drag back up and discuss yet, all right?" Severus nodded in acceptance and stood, refilling his mug and gesturing for Harry to do the same and follow him out to the living room.

Once they were arranged comfortably, with Harry pressed against Severus, his head tucked under the other's man chin, listening to the soothing rhythm of his mate's heartbeat, his lover started talking. "The first thing I'd like to know is why you showed me those memories. I have ideas of my own, but I want to know what you were thinking you placed such an intimate part of yourself in the pensieve and gave it to me."

Harry nodded, sighing. "I-I'm not really sure why I gave it to you. At first, I just felt that you deserved to know more about me. I am bound to you for life as your mate, and you deserve to understand me and my behavior, and to be considered my equal in all things, especially our personal lives."

"Then, after I was…kidnapped, I wanted to let you know that despite everything that happened, it was you I thought of—you that kept me from breaking in that place. I needed to let you know just how important you were to me. After all, we had just fought the day before my abduction, and I wanted to let you know that I forgave you and that I'd love you no matter what."

"Most recently, I felt that by letting you see my memories, I was giving a part of myself to you that can't be taken away. Even if I should die, you'll have a very intimate part of me—the good and the bad. I gave you both, because that's who I am, and who I always will be. I'm not some idealized hero, with an easy, carefree life. Nor am I nothing more than a poor abused little boy who is constantly under attack. I needed you to have this part of me, a part that no one else has."

Severus shivered lightly at the sincerity in Harry's voice and held the young man closer. "I understand," was all he murmured, but they both knew he spoke the truth. Severus knew what it was like to be constantly afraid, and to want to give those he cared about something precious to remember him by. He had done something similar with Albus, when he had first started spying and hadn't believed he'd survive Voldemort's reign of terror without being discovered and killed for his treachery.

Severus then questioned Harry very carefully on specific memories, most of them having to do with his time at the Dursleys and his kidnapping and subsequent torture, although he inserted happy and interesting memories that had spiked his curiosity as well—such as the entrance into the Chamber of Secrets, or the time when Harry had first shifted and the joy and power he had felt in doing so.

Harry shifted uncomfortably when he was forced to remember and talk about his non-existent childhood with his muggle relatives, but he seemed much more in control discussing his torture at the hands of Bellatrix and her Skullbearers.

Severus decided to question him about his. "You seem very skittish when I talk about the Dursleys, but you are relatively at ease when talking about your time in the non-existent mercy of the Dark Lady and her followers. Why is this?"

Harry sighed, bowing his head and gathering his scattered thoughts before looking back up and meeting Severus' eyes. "The Dursleys were family. They were supposed to care for me. Bellatrix is like Voldemort—a stranger determined to make my life miserable, if she can't kill me. She can throw me into my worst nightmares, but she can't actually force me to live them."

Severus was speechless. Inwardly, he cursed himself for asking that question when the answer should have been obvious. After all, he himself had believed that Harry was spoiled and pampered by those relatives of his, just because they were his family, and had only been disillusioned a year and a half ago. A tense silence filled the room as both men lost themselves in thoughts and memories.

Finally, Harry sighed and shifted in Severus' arms, murmuring, "I think we're done with today's question and answer session. We have things that need to be done. This can wait until later, when we have time to talk this out. Besides, I'm not ready to answer any more questions just yet." Severus nodded in acquiescence and stood up with Harry. Harry quickly grabbed Salazar, who had been resting nearby, and together they made their way to the Headmaster's office.

When they arrived, Albus gestured for them to enter a room off to the side of his office. Harry blinked—he didn't remember ever seeing that door, and he had certainly been in the Headmaster's office enough times to notice such a thing if it existed--hadn't he? Severus caught his dumbfounded expression and smirked, strolling through the door and into the room beyond. Growling, Harry followed his lover, trying to ignore Sal's hissing laughter.

Once inside, he blinked—there were people in the room! Glancing around, he found that he recognized most of them, and it finally dawned on him that this must be the meeting place for the Order inside of Hogwarts. Grimmauld Place was their main base of operations, but Harry guessed that this room was used when Dumbledore needed to hold a meeting and was unable to leave school grounds, for one reason or another.

Molly Weasley was there, and she swept Harry up in a giant hug, crushing him. When she finally released him, Harry glanced around, smiling at the people he recognized while making his way over to Severus, where he was leaning against a wall conversing with Sirius and Remus. When the canine duo sensed him, they turned to Harry, smiling, and opened their arms. He willingly embraced them before pulling back and asking, "This is the meeting place for the Order here in Hogwarts?"

Upon received confirmation, he frowned, "Then what am I doing here? I'm not a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and I'm not sure I can be."

Severus shook his head, "You are correct, Harry. You cannot be a member of the Order because you are the leader of the Shadowen, just as we are no longer members of the order because we are bound to you more tightly than we are to Professor Dumbledore. If you prefer, consider our presence here to be like a delegation of allies, since we're working towards the same goal."

Harry nodded. That made a lot of sense, actually, and he waited patiently for everyone else to arrive, Dumbledore included. Once they were all there, they sat at a long oval table, with Albus at one end and Harry at the other. The seating arrangement surprised him just as much as it surprised the majority of the Order members.

Eyes twinkling, Albus called for their attention before speaking. "I would like to welcome Harry Potter, Lord of the Shadowen, to this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. The Shadowen, as well as their leader, are our allies against the one who calls herself the Queen of Nightmares and her Skullbearers, and they are capable of obtaining a great deal of information that they are willing to share with us, provided that we extend the same courtesy to them."

With that, he sat down and the meeting began. Harry actually did have a great amount of important, unknown, information, consisting of reports from his Shadowen and the knowledge gleaned through his visions. The two most vital pieces of intelligence, though, were the Dark Lady's search for the Talisman and her method of obtaining and holding power. It worried them that a madwoman was capable of reaping so much power.

It was Sirius who brought up the most frightening prospect. "You believe that she's called the Living Dementor because of her ability to manipulate the mind and throw you into nightmares, right?" Harry nodded in confirmation and Sirius bit his lip nervously before continuing. "I would think that Queen of Nightmares covered that ability of hers. Is it possible that she can deliver the Kiss?"

At this, the room erupted, most of them shouting that it was impossible. Albus tried to silence them, but failed, so Harry decided to take action. Setting his right arm on the table, he let Salazar slither out from under his sleeve and started talking to him about inconsequential things, watching the room from the corner of his eye. He nearly smiled as those nearest to him fell silent, and as those further away noticed that their companions were distracted and looked to see what was happening.

Once the entire room had fallen silent, Harry thanked Salazar and promised him some extra treats that night. Allowing Sal to slither back up his arm to drape around his neck, he finally looked up at everybody. Albus was smiling, and his bonded had curious looks on their faces. Everybody else had paled and was staring at him with wide, shocked expressions. Harry smirked, "I do believe that we were discussing tactics. You weren't listening to anyone else, so I figured I'd talk to Sal while I was waiting. Now, are we all done with our little shouting match?" he reprimanded.

The adults all looked down, chastised, before realizing what had happened. Several of them glared at Harry, but he just smiled amicably and turned to Sirius. "You might have a point there, Sirius. Most people do not have multiple names that mean the same thing. Take me for example. The Boy-Who-Lived, the Savior, the Golden Boy of Gryffindor, the Man-Who-Defeated-Voldemort. I have many names, and they all mean different things. That is quite possibly the case with this new threat, as well."

Turning to Albus, he promised, "I'll have the Shadowen look into it and see what we can come up with." Using the link, he sent soothing thoughts to his godfather, watching as the man visibly relaxed in his chair, shooting him a grateful look.

After that, the meeting went smoothly, and everybody was dismissed with instructions less than an hour later. Suddenly, Salazar's head lifted from its perch on Harry's shoulder and he hissed, _Sssstop them from leaving! Trouble!_ Harry called out to the people, warning them that Salazar had sensed trouble and asked them to remain in the room until they could figure out what was wrong.

Of course, this sent the teachers—with the exceptions of Severus, Sirius, and Remus—for the door, determined to meet the 'threat' head-on, so Harry threw it shut and sealed everybody in. They turned around, glaring at him, but Harry just rolled his eyes. "The trouble is coming to us, we do not need to seek it. If it was going to attack the school, I wouldn't have told everybody to stay. In. Here." He ground the words out, letting his annoyance show clearly on his face.

Harry tilted his head, listening, and then realized that a snake was approaching them. Harry looked at Salazar questioningly, but the cobra just shrugged his coils, hissing, _I cannot speak to thissss messenger ssserpent. Ssshe will not sspeak to me._ Harry nodded his head in understanding and turned back towards the door, waiting for the serpent to enter, an inkling of suspicion at the new arrivals identity beginning to form.

When he felt its presence right outside the door, Harry allowed it to swing open. Nagini slithered through as those closest to the door moved back. Raising her head, Voldemort's familiar scented the air, fixing her beady eyes on Harry. _Young sssspeaker, dessstroyer of my massster, the new missstressss sssends a message with me. Ssshe wissshes me to tell you that you cannot ssstop her, and that ssssoon, ssshe will take away everyone you care for._

Harry opened his mouth to hiss back, but Nagini continued. _I do not like her, for ssshe isss bossy and doesss not treat me with the ressspect I deserve. Ssshe is cruel to my massster, as well, becausssse he can no longer usssse magic, becausssse he wassss not 'pure'. I hate her, and I wissssh to sssee her dead. You sssspared my massster's life, and I wisssh to repay you._

Harry blinked and thought about the serpent's offer for several tense moments. Snapping out of his thoughts, he came to a decision and nodded at Nagini. _Very well, friend Nagini. Sssince you are already among the cruel lady and her sssservantsss, can you keep reporting to me? Through other ssserpentsss perhaps, if you cannot come yourssself?_

This time it was Nagini who thought for a moment before nodding. _That issss acceptable, young massster. I will do what I can to bring about thisssss lady's desssstruction._ With that, she turned around and slithered back out the door.

Once she was gone, Albus turned to Harry. "Would you please explain to us what just happened, and why Nagini was in here?"

Harry shrugged, replying, "I spared her master's life, and she wanted to thank me. She also had a message from Bellatrix, but was apparently using the delivery as an excuse to offer me her services in spying. Then he smirked and stated cheekily, "I now have a new informant, and she's on the inside too."


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me.**

**Warning: Mild language—I think there's…one word that you wouldn't want to repeat in polite company.**

_Last Chapter:_

_Once she was gone, Albus turned to Harry. "Would you please explain to us what just happened, and why Nagini was in here?"_

_Harry shrugged, replying, "I spared her master's life, and she wanted to thank me. She also had a message from Bellatrix, but was apparently using the delivery as an excuse to offer me her services in spying. Then he smirked and stated cheekily, "I now have a new informant, and she's on the inside too."_

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Fear**

There was silence for about ten seconds before the room exploded in noise again, most of them asking how Harry could possibly trust Voldemort's familiar, and how he could be so stupid as to let the giant snake wander free in the corridors of the school, nevermind that it was still the Christmas holidays and the students wouldn't be returning for another week yet.

Harry waited patiently for them to quiet down, but when it appeared that such a thing would not be happening, he sighed and looked at Dumbledore, raising his eyebrow in a silent question. The Headmaster's eyes twinkled more brightly and he nodded almost imperceptibly. Grinning, Harry quickly messaged his plans to his bonded, who grinned as well, mischief evident in their eyes.

Suddenly, the room was rather crowded, as it hosted a Jachyra, a Basilisk, a wolf, and a Grim-like dog. Several members of the Order screamed and jumped back, but they calmed down when they realized that they weren't attacking anybody. Amarth started talking to them in mind-speak, as he had done to Albus back in the beginning of all this. **_All right, people, we aren't here to hurt you. We just needed to get you guys to quiet down, and you were showing no signs of doing so._**

Severus picked up where he left off, his acid tongue being put to use. **_Have you already forgotten everything we've learned before? Amarth is a Jachyra. He can tell who is loyal and who is not. Why exactly do you think that some of our members are no longer with us? They were spies within our own order. You fools seem to have forgotten about Amarth, and about us. My animagus form is a Basilisk, King of the Serpents, and you ask if Nagini could lie to us? Incompetent dunderheads, the lot of you!_**

Amarth grinned up at his mate, meeting the Basilisk's glare, and wondering if it would actually kill somebody else. Severus seemed upset enough for it to do so. Remus was the next to speak, **_Harry has done a great deal for us in this war. He was the one who defeated Voldemort, and he will be the one to bring about the Dark Lady's destruction. Only this time, we expect a bit more back-up_** he growled warningly, Sirius agreeing with him whole-heartedly.

When Amarth finally noticed that the people seemed to understand that, he turned towards Albus, waiting to see what happened next. The aged wizard just smiled at him and then turned to Order, speaking solemnly, "Amarth here is correct. He knows, better than any of us, what he is doing. If he trusts Nagini, then so will we. Besides, since none of us can speak Parseltongue, I doubt that we'll really have anything to do with her directly."

With that, he dismissed the Order meeting. Amarth, Moony, and Padfoot loped together out of the room, and Severus followed, shifting back into his own form. Instead of going down to the dungeons, Harry led the way outside, towards the Whomping Willow. Frowning, Severus inquired as to where they were going. Amarth sighed, **_I have a few meetings with the Shadowen today. I need to learn what they've found out about the attack last night, and why we didn't hear about until after it had already started._**

Severus winced at this -- Amarth's voice was cold and unforgiving, and the Potions Master knew that the Shadowen had better have some excellent excuses, or they were going to regret it shortly. Amarth probably wouldn't hurt them, but there weren't any guarantees. Especially with the tempers of both himself and Sirius to back the were-Jachyra up.

Amarth growled lightly at the Whomping Willow and it froze, long enough for all four of them to slip under its branches and into the tunnel beyond. Severus shivered lightly, remembering his sixth year, when he had journeyed into the tunnel only to find a murderous werewolf at the end.

Severus jumped, almost imperceptibly, when a cold nose pressed against his hand. Looking down, he saw Moony staring up at him, those keen eyes sad and regretful, asking for forgiveness. Slowly, Severus moved his hand and scratched gently behind the wolf's ears, and Moony's tail wagged happily as he licked Severus' hand before trotting after their companions. Severus smiled to himself and followed.

The tunnel ended at the Shrieking Shack, and Severus slipped inside, moving to the front where the others waited for him, noses and ears working to make sure that nobody was nearby—not that it had worked so well for Harry last time. Of course, he had been in human form when they kidnapped him. Severus would like to see them try to kidnap a full-grown Jachyra.

Satisfied that it was safe, Amarth shifted into Harry, and then altered his appearance back to that of the Shadow Walker, more man than animal, but not truly either. The others blinked in surprise—this was the first time they had seen the Shadow Walker. Harry quickly summoned a silvery cloak and wrapped it around himself, bringing the cowl up to shadow his face, hiding his animalistic features. He then summoned a black cloak for Severus and bid him do the same. Moony and Padfoot retained their forms, going along as animal bodyguards to protect their King.

Once everybody was ready, Harry turned around and walked out of the Shrieking Shack. They quickly, and silently, made their way to the edge of town and into a little side street, heading for the Hogs Head. Nobody even glanced at them, and Harry explained quickly that he was extending his aura to soothe the people, to help them believe that there was nothing odd about their little procession.

Severus' eyes narrowed dangerously, and Harry flinched before hurriedly assuring his mate in a low whisper, "It's not mind control, Severus. It's more like throwing a warm blanket over someone, or hugging somebody tightly—a feeling of rightness, of comfort. I don't actually force them to change their way of thinking at all." He could tell that Severus wasn't completely satisfied with his answer, but at least he didn't demand that Harry cease his spell-casting immediately.

Silently, they maneuvered through the small, out-of-the-way pub, and Harry led them unerringly to the bar, talking briefly with the man there and taking a keyring from him. Gesturing for them to follow him, he led them to the back of the bar and unlocked a door, slipping inside quickly. Once inside, he paused, and the others looked at their surroundings. They appeared to be in a hallway of sorts, with doors lining either side.

Turning to them, Harry explained in his rumbling voice, "These rooms have not been used for years, as there is no longer any need for them. They were used for storage at first, and then later changed into rooms where people could stay for a few days. Now they're just left empty and unused. I do not use this place often, but it's good for when I want to talk to several Shadowen in a short period of time. I send them portkeys that deposit them into one of these rooms. Silencing spells ensure that nobody knows who else is here. It makes it rather convenient for me."

With that said, Harry moved forward, stopping at the third door on the right and unlocking it. Stepping inside, the men and canines saw a young man, watching them warily. He stood when Harry entered, bowing his head respectfully and murmuring, "Shadow Walker," in greeting.

Harry gestured for him to sit before lowering his hood, turning sharp eyes onto the young wizard and cutting right to the chase. "Mr. Thompson, I do believe that you owe me an explanation. Why was I not warned of the attack before it happened?"

Thompson sighed, biting his lip gently as he stared directly into Harry's eyes, not flinching. "The Dark Lady gave no warning to anyone, not even her Skullbearers, until it was time for the battle. She continued recruiting and branding her followers as usual, until last night, when she summoned all her Skullbearers at once. She quickly paired them into groups, handed them portkeys, and told them to attack whatever place they ended up in."

Harry frowned. He had been using legilimency as well as his Jachyra senses and knew that this man was telling the truth. Still… "How was she able to mobilize them that quickly? Even if she just had them show up and sent them to attack, each location was bombarded rather strategically and efficiently, taking out the most important people first. Wouldn't they have needed some sort of planning to pull that off?"

Thompson shrugged, "I do not know, my Lord. One would think so, but the Dark Lady seems to have very tight control over her followers, and they certainly appeared to know what they were doing." Harry nodded, his expression contemplative as he thanked Thompson for his help, handing him a portkey that took him back to his home…and his family.

Harry went from room to room, asking similar questions and getting similar answers. Some of them he questioned more thoroughly, and they realized that these people were the ones who were in a position to know more about what was happening than some of their companions. They learned from Ms. Wynter that the Dark Lady trained her Skullbearers to recognize those people who would organize and lead others into battle, and to kill them on sight, throwing the towns into disarray and dampening their spirits.

This worried Harry and the others. If the Skullbearers could tell, just by looking, who was capable of rallying the people in any given place, the Light Side would be in trouble. This knowledge probably also meant that they recruited as many of the potential leaders they could, hoping to use them to train the other Skullbearers. Dammit! This could mean a great deal of trouble for the Order and the Ministry.

They also learned that Bellatrix gained power from the nightmares she attacked her enemies with, and that she could do a 'blanket' attack -- attacking dozens of people all at the same time. Not to mention that she could steal souls and gain a large quantity of magic when she did. She was able to integrate her victim's knowledge and power into her own, which was most likely the reason her power continued to escalate.

Harry shuddered internally at this information. If that bitch was able to gain both knowledge and power by devouring the souls of her victims—which shouldn't be possible for any human, much less one as completely insane as Bellatrix appeared to be—then the attacks would probably be focused on some of the more powerful witches and wizards on the Light side. That might also explain why not everybody who had been attacked the other night had been muggles.

Sighing, Harry sent the last person back to his home, then turned and walked back out. Dusk was falling, and they all noticed that tension rode the air, the fear almost palpable. The massive attack was still fresh in everybody's mind, and the Ministry was working frantically to reassure the people. Already the rumors were flying…the Dark Lord hadn't truly died and was now wreaking havoc on the wizarding world; the Dark Lord had an heir that was trying to take his father's place; Harry Potter had gone dark when he destroyed Voldemort, and was now turning against the people he had saved.

Fortunately, the latter theory wasn't a popular one, and Harry did everything he could to discourage it…not that he had gotten the chance to do much yet, holed up in Hogwarts as he was. He'd have to make some rather public appearances soon, so that the people could reassure themselves that Voldemort's destroyer hadn't tried to usurp the last Lord's throne.

They returned to the school the same way they had left it, going through the Shrieking Shack to the Whomping Willow and into the school through the main entrance. By now, it was dinnertime, and they all headed for the Great Hall, Sirius and Remus shifting back to human first. Harry sat down with his friends and Draco at the Gryffindor table, while the three men moved up to the head table.

Harry glanced up at the table a few minutes later and noticed that the Headmast was speaking to Severus, who just shrugged and nodded, murmuring a reply. Harry turned back to his food, figuring that the Headmaster wished to meet with them after dinner to inquire after any information they had received.

Thinking back on what they had found out that day, Harry shuddered in fear. Bellatrix was nobody to mess with, and they wouldn't get many chances to take her out. Her army of Skullbearers was huge, her powers were virtually unheard of in a human, and her strategy was ruthless. In addition to all of that, the woman was rather psychotic with an unhealthy obsession directed towards Sirius that not even the man in question could explain.

Harry had thought that Voldemort was frightening, but now…now he knew the true meaning of helpless terror—and he didn't like the feeling one bit.


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and anything associated with it belongs to J.K. Rowling. 'Lord of the Rings' belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. Morte d'Amour belongs to Laurell K. Hamilton (well, then name does, not the person)**

**Note: We've moved forward in time just a bit, until the end of the holidays.**

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Creations**

Harry found himself wondering what was going on _now_, as he trudged up to the Headmaster's office for the second time that day. School had resumed, so Harry and the Headmaster only met twice a week to discuss any new information uncovered, as well as the actions of the Ministry in their attempts to contain the threat to the wizarding populace before it flared completely out of control. For the Headmaster to be calling him to his office twice in one day, garnering the attention of some people he'd really rather not have notice him, something big had to be going on. At least, something big had better be going on, or Harry was going to be pissed.

Entering the office at Albus' greeting, Harry quickly took his seat in front of the Headmaster's desk, watching the man silently. Dumbledore watched him for a few minutes before sighing, moving his hand up to rub at the bridge of his nose in indication of the stress and exhaustion that was taking its toll on him. They were all worn out, trying to determine how to incapacitate Bellatrix and the Skullbearers before they rose to be more powerful than Voldemort. It kept them all running ragged. Even Harry had his hands full, dealing with his Shadowen, Nagini's reports, the Order, classes, and training, as well as trying to fit in some time for all of his bonded. He hardly ever got more than two or three hours of sleep a night, and it was showing, even in such a short time.

Dumbledore shifted slightly and lowered his hand, looking at Harry over his spectacles, face somber but eyes twinkling, so Harry relaxed slightly, waiting for the news. Albus spoke, "The Talisman has once again slipped through the fingers of our operatives. They have slowly been tracing rumors of it, but it seems that the Talisman continues to remain three steps ahead of them." Harry nodded, deep in thought, biting his lower lip gently. If the Phoenixers -- members of the Order of the Phoenix -- couldn't locate it, then it was unlikely that the Skullbearers could either. However, depending on where it was heading…

Harry turned to the Headmaster, "Has it been heading in any consistent direction at all? Perhaps it's acting on its own and trying to reach somewhere, or someone."

Dumbledore furrowed his brow and opened his mouth, and Harry laughed, already knowing what the Headmaster wanted to ask. "You want to ask why I believe it may be sentient enough to act on its own?"

The wizard across from him nodded, brow still furrowed, and Harry asked, "Have you ever hear of the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien?" The Headmaster nodded, and his eyes widened fractionally as he caught the implications, and Harry nodded. "Exactly. I believe that the Talisman is seeking someone in particular, and will continue to move however it can until it reaches that individual. Which means that it could wind up anywhere, and in the hands of just about anyone who happens to be in the wrong place at the right time."

Albus' face grew grave and pensive at the information. After a few moments of silence, he visibly shook himself out of his contemplation and turned back to Harry, eyes twinkling again. "Do you have any idea who it might be searching for?"

The were-Jachyra just shrugged, and replied, "That depends. Has it been heading in any consistent direction?"

Albus nodded, answering his question directly this time. "Yes, it's heading closer to Hogwarts with each passing rumor. It may be heading for somewhere in the surrounding area, though, rather than any one person within the school."

Harry nodded, conceding that it was possible that the Talisman was heading somewhere else, but his expression clearly showed his skepticism. He had a feeling that he just might know who it was headed towards. But first, he needed some information, if Dumbledore would give it to him. He debated briefly on how best to inquire about the information he needed, then decided to just charge in head-first and hope that the Headmaster would answer his question. "Who made the Talisman in the first place? And does that person have an heir here in Hogwarts?"

Dumbledore blinked at him briefly before his eyes glazed slightly and he nodded. "Yes, the one who created the Talisman does have an heir in Hogwarts. Is that who it's heading towards?"

Harry shrugged, but replied anyhow, "Most likely. Who created it?" he persisted, curious and not ready to let this go just yet. But Albus Dumbledore just smiled at him, his eyes twinkling like mini novas, and didn't reply. With that, he dismissed Harry, shuffling him to the door.

Harry growled, opening his mouth to protest as he turned around to face the Headmaster, but the old man was nowhere in sight and Harry snarled in frustration. Dammit! The Headmaster knew who the Talisman was heading for and wouldn't tell him. He thought they had a deal.

Sighing in resignation, and knowing full well that he wouldn't receive any answers until the manipulating bastard decided he was good and ready to tell him, Harry turned around and headed for the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. He had information to look up, and realized that Remus and Sirius would be the most likely candidates to give him a pass into the Restricted Section of the library, once they heard why he wanted it.

Spirits lightened considerably, Harry hurried along the corridors until he reached the classroom, glancing around to make sure that everyone was practicing their shielding charms before slipping into the room and over to his godfathers, who smiled at him in greeting.

After greeting Sirius and Remus properly, Harry proceeded to explain to them—after placing a Silencing Charm around them, of course—everything that had been said in the Headmaster's office, including his own suspicions. Sirius agreed readily to provide him with a pass, but Remus still looked a bit doubtful, until Harry pointed out that knowledge was power. After all, if they knew who the Talisman was seeking, they'd be better prepared when it showed up. Besides, it was a mystery, and since when had any Marauder backed away from a mystery, especially one that had to be solved within the walls of Hogwarts? Without their adventurous, mischievous natures, they never would have been able to create the Marauders Map, showing all the secret passages in the castle.

When Harry finally left the classroom, he had an unlimited pass into the Restricted Section in his hand. They had been wary of giving him unrestricted access to such dangerous books, but Harry argued that he had no idea where the information would be contained. His godfathers had agreed to give him full access only after he had vowed to be careful, and to give them a list of all the books he looked at, no matter how fleetingly. Harry acquiesced readily, and now held the fruits of his labor tightly in his left hand.

He ate a quick dinner, enjoying the company of his friends, before excusing himself and exiting the Great Hall, heading straight for the library. He gave Madame Pince his slip, and she narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously before leading him back to the Restricted Section. Harry smiled at her disarmingly, his violet eyes wide and innocent, and she blushed and offered a small smile in return, leaving him alone to peruse the rows of ancient tombs and records of the darkest magics in history.

He started searching methodically, looking first for various talismans and magical objects designed with dark intent. When that failed to stir up anything of significance, Harry started looking for various powerful dark wizards and witches who might have created the Talisman. He searched for several hours, growing more and more frustrated with each successive failure. Growling impatiently, he shoved his latest unsuccessful tomb back onto the shelf, unintentionally knocking off the book sitting next to it. Snarling, he bent down and picked up the book, intent on shelving it and then calling it a night.

Suddenly, he stopped as a tingle went through his fingers and down his spine. Looking down at the book, he watched in fascination as the plain, unadorned black covered altered itself into a deep, glossy violet, with gold serpents inlaid along the front, twisting around an engraving of the Talisman that Harry had been seeking for information on. Eyes wide, Harry opened the page tentatively and read on the inside cover, "To the Heir of he who created the Serpent Talisman, read this and discover your destiny." Harry quickly shut the book and glanced around, breathing heavily, unable to hide his shock. If he could read this…was he the heir that the Talisman was seeking?

Glancing back down, Harry noticed that the book had returned to its original appearance, an untitled book with no particularly distinguishing features. Realizing that this one book was likely what he had been searching for all evening and well into the night, he quickly made his way to the front of the library to let Madame Pince know he was borrowing the book. He smiled flirtatiously and complimented on her excellent caretaking of the books in the grand library, and she smiled back and checked the book out for him, warning him to be careful with it and to treat it with the proper respect due to any book in her care. Harry nodded in agreement and took his leave, smirking once he was out of sight. The elderly librarian was rather easy, and he had the benefit of being associated with Hermione Granger, who worshipped the books and was an avid reader, which pleased Madame Pince to no end.

He quickly went to his rooms, feeling Severus in Draco's room, talking with him, Sirius, and Remus, and he grinned. Slipping into the bedroom, he placed the book in his trunk. He'd read it first, and then inform the others of whatever he found that pertained to their mission.

For now, though, he'd go spend some time with his family. He wasn't tired, and he hadn't spent as much time with his bonded as he would have liked, so he visited with them as often as he could. Draco was probably the loneliest, since the twins couldn't visit often while running their shop, and everybody else was kept busy, either training or teaching.

All four wizards turned to face him as he entered and he smiled at them. Draco nodded at him, stating, "We were beginning to wonder if you'd been kidnapped again."

The other three wizards snapped their attention to the Malfoy heir, disbelief on their faces and reprimands on the tip of their tongues, but they were forestalled by Harry's light chuckling as he smirked at his bond-brother and retorted, "Hardly. Besides, the next time they come for me, I plan on taking you along. I'm certain they wouldn't mind." Draco just rolled his eyes and gestured for Harry to join him on the couch.

They spent the next couple of hours just talking and having a good time, doing their best to avoid thinking about the turmoil the wizarding world had been thrown into, after having experienced peace for so short a time. They visited with each other late into the night, until all of them were yawning. Fortunately, it was a Friday, so they could sleep in. Remus and Sirius took their leave first, heading for their rooms after wishing everyone a good night. Harry and Severus followed shortly after.

Pausing at the door, Harry turned to look back at his bond-brother, who was staring blankly into the flames, and he sighed, turning to Severus and asking him a silent question. Receiving a slight nod in response, he turned back to the blonde Slytherin and called softly, "Draco? Come with me and Sev tonight?" Draco turned to face him in surprise, and opened his mouth to refuse, but Harry was adamant. "We're tired, Dray, and we need sleep. You need sleep too. You won't get it if we leave you here, so you're coming with us. Now come on."

Reluctantly, Draco got up and got ready for bed, following Harry into his and Severus' quarters and climbing into the huge bed, lying tensely on the end. Harry rolled his eyes and slid in behind Draco, shoving him to the middle of the bed. Severus climbed into the other side of the bed, and the two wizards spooned Draco between them, offering him the comfort of a family that he needed. The boy was stressed and tense and lonely, and they offered him what solace they could, quickly dropping off to sleep, clutching at each other tightly.

BREAK 

The next morning, Harry awoke to the smell of coffee and the feel of a warm body in his arms. Opening his eyes, he smiled softly down at Draco. The boy's features were relaxed in sleep, and Harry almost stayed in bed, but the promise of caffeine drew him from under the covers, and he silently padded into the kitchen, where Severus handed him a fresh cup of coffee. Murmuring his thanks, Harry downed it quickly and poured himself a second cup before sitting down and turning to Severus, asking him what his plans were for the day.

Severus had to talk to the Headmaster about something this morning, but then he'd be free for the rest of the day. He looked at Harry suspiciously, asking, "Why?"

Harry just shrugged and replied nonchalantly, "I have some reading to do, and I'd rather do it while you had things to do, too, so that I could spend more time with you afterwards. Will we be making potions for the Infirmary today?" He successfully derailed Severus, who's face lit up at the apparent interest his lover had in working in the potions lab today. Harry grinned and agreed to help Severus work in the lab during the afternoon, if he'd be willing to spend some time just cuddling in the evening.

Severus left to go talk to the Headmaster, and Harry wandered back into the bedroom, rousing Draco with a cup of coffee and the promise that Fred and George Weasley would be arriving that evening. It was a Hogsmeade weekend, and the students had been permitted to visit the small town, under heavy guard (almost all of the teachers except for Sirius, Remus, Severus, and the Headmaster), and they'd be busy, since the students didn't know when they'd have another Hogsmeade weekend. After all, the Dark Lady could attack at any time.

After Draco had left, already fretting over what he'd wear that night, Harry moved over to his multi-compartment trunk and pulled out the book. Moving to the living room and sitting down in his chair in front of the fire, Harry made himself comfortable before risking another look at the book in his lap, hoping that it had changed again. Sure enough, when he looked at the book, the serpents and the Talisman were back.

Leaning back in his chair, Harry opened the book and read the dedication again. He then flipped through the book, rapidly finding himself absorbed in the magic that Merlin himself had been able to wield, and wondering if it was possible for the great wizard's heir to wield those powers. He lost himself in the revelations of forgotten knowledge, and the power of the creatures that only Merlin himself was able to command. One passage in particular caught his attention.

Of all the creatures that Merlin had control of, perhaps the most 

_feared and most powerful of them were the Jachrya. Displaying features of both canines and felines, Jachyras were truly magnificent creatures, beautiful and graceful. Strong magical beings who were unaffected by standard magic, Jachyras were proud creatures, content to keep to themselves and avoid humans altogether, provided that none were foolish enough to attempt to tamper with them._

_It is rumored that a Jachyra was the cause of Merlin's death. He had reportedly captured a family of them and tried to blend their genes into some of the stronger wizarding lines, including his own family. The human bodies, however, rejected the Jachyra genes, and many of the people died in the process. However, those who survived did so as animagus-lycanthrope crossbreeds, able to shift at will, save on the night of a full moon, when the moon forced them through a painful transformation._

_Were-Jachyras are capable of absorbing any magic thrown at them, and will do so instinctively, unless they consciously allow the magic to affect them. They are also ageless and virtually immune to any disease. Their strength is incredible and unrivaled when they are angry, but it takes a great deal to drive them to wild violence. The human/Jachyra crossbreeds can sense the magical essences of people and read their emotions, as well as their loyalty, and will not willingly move towards a disloyal person._

_The true Jachyras began dying out after the were-Jachyras were created. However, as there were so few of the lycanthropes, they were able to hide from humanity, and quickly became legendary beings. It is said that they only come out and attack a chosen individual when it is necessary, infecting the Chosen One to give them the power and ability to defeat the Darkness when it threatens to overwhelm the world._

_It is also said that were-Jachyras will bond to those they can trust, almost like a pack, and that they will do anything to protect those they are bound to. They are incapable of hurting their bonded, whatever happens._

Harry licked his lips nervously. Well, now he knew that were-Jachyras hadn't always existed, but were actually creations of Merlin himself, in an attempt to create more powerful humans by infusing them with the genes of the most powerful magical creatures to be found at the time. He wondered idly how many of them were left, and how long they lived. He knew that he was virtually invincible, at least by magical means, but he had no doubt that he could die. Just not by old age, common illnesses, or magic, apparently.

Sighing, Harry glanced at the clock and noticed that he had about an hour before Severus returned. He continued reading, searching more selectively now. When he found what he was looking for, he grinned. It was the information on the Talisman, as well as a self-updating diagram of Merlin's bloodline. Harry gasped when he saw his name at the very bottom of the family tree. He traced it upwards, following through his ancestors until he reached Merlin. 'Well, that answers that question, I suppose,' he thought to himself as he read the passage on the Talisman.

_The Serpent Talisman was created by Merlin to act as a conductor for magical energy. It could take the magical energy from all living, as well as inanimate, things around it and convert them into the energy of the wizard who bore it. It can be used as a summoning tool, but is most often used in battle to drain a large number of people at one time, leaving them magically and physically weakened, and leaving the owner of the Talisman stronger._

_However, the Talisman had some rather negative side effects, making its practical application nearly worthless. When the Talisman drew from the area around it, it completely drained anything with magic, killing magical creatures and destroying wards and buildings imbued with magic. It turned any wizard or witch nearby into a Squib. It also affected any person who wielded the Talisman for a prolonged period of time, aging them rapidly with each influx of power. The magic drained from one average wizard would age a person approximately a full year. Sometimes it was less or more, depending on how magically strong the wielder of the Serpent Talisman was._

_Merlin created the Talisman at the young age of thirty in his fight against the dark wizard of the time, using it to drain his magic and strip his defenses so that he could be killed. However, Morte de'Amour was so magically powerful that Merlin was aged over one hundred years in the course of the battle. Since then, the Serpent Talisman has often traded hands, but it always finds its way back to Merlin's bloodline, and will continue to do so as long as at least one member is in existence. If there is more than one heir, then the Talisman will seek the most powerful among them, wishing no harm to its Creator's bloodline._

Harry frowned, thinking over everything that he'd read. He was curious to know how the Talisman would react to a were-Jachyra. He was the most powerful descendant, he was sure, but he was also supposed to be ageless. Perhaps that's what the book wanted to show him? Could he use the Talisman to drain the Queen of Nightmares without losing a hundred years off his life?

Harry was still puzzling over this when Severus entered the rooms. Turning to him, Harry smiled and said, "I'm really sorry to put you through this, love, but we need to have a nice chat with the Headmaster. I learned some truly fascinating information today, and I have a few theories, but I want to ask Albus about them."

Severus glared at him and he shrugged, glancing at the clock. "It's only ten, Sev. We'll be done by noon, and then I'll help you in the lab, all right? This is important, and it involves me intimately, so I want answers, preferable immediately." Severus just nodded and they headed out the door again, gathering Remus, Sirius, and Draco on the way. This conversation was going to be interesting, and revealing…for a lot of people.

**Author's Note:** All right! Finished with another chapter. Phew! This one is a good 9 pages, everybody. Anyhow, I hope that this answered some questions that people had way back in the first part of this series. Umm………Harry's being AN heir of Merlin (not THE heir) will not suddenly cause him to have any major powers. He has already manifested some powers that run down the bloodline, as well as some were-Jachyra powers, and more might show up later, but nothing overly drastic.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and anything thus associated with it does not belong to me. Do I really have to write this for every chapter!**

**Warning: One lemon scene (SB/RL)**

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Discussions**

Harry didn't bother knocking on the Headmaster's office, striding in with his bonded following him. The Weasley twins, Draco, Ron, and Hermione were all in Hogsmeade today, and Lucius was at the Ministry again, so only the three adults were with him. That suited Harry just fine, since they would—with the exception of Draco—scold him for blowing up at Dumbledore. After all, he was their mentor and a very wise wizard, and Harry had no right to get angry at him for keeping a secret that he probably had a good reason to keep, right? Harry snorted, ignoring the looks his godfathers and lover were giving him.

Albus Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, watching serenely as they stormed his office. Smiling congenially, he gestured to the chairs in front of him, saying, "Severus, I didn't expect you back up here so soon. Is something wrong, my boy?"

The Potions Master just shrugged and stared pointedly at Harry, who was pacing back and forth in front of his desk, scowling in a gesture oddly reminiscent of Severus when he was fit to kill. "Ask him, Albus. All he said was that you had some explaining to do and that we should be here for this." Dumbledore nodded solemnly and turned to watch Harry, who appeared to be trying to calm himself before speaking.

Sirius raised an eyebrow at his godson and grinned, "Why are you trying so hard to calm yourself down, Harry? A good yell does wonders sometimes."

Harry didn't answer him, leaving Severus to do so in his stead. Mock-sneering at Sirius, Severus snarked, "Really, Black, haven't you heard what happens when he loses his temper? Last time he was this bad was after you had died, and he wrecked Albus' office." Sirius and Remus both stared wide-eyed at their adopted son. Harry just shrugged and nodded in confirmation, still working on controlling his temper.

Once he felt that he had some semblance of control, he turned back to the Headmaster and asked, "Why didn't you tell me that Merlin created the were-Jachyra, as well as the Talisman? Why haven't I been told that I'm a direct descendent of Merlin? Who else is? Am I the most powerful of the options presented to the Serpent Talisman? Can I destroy it? Should I destroy it? What's it going to do to me if I try to use it, since I won't age?" he shot his questions in rapid-fire succession at the Headmaster before pausing to take a breath and to wait for his answers.

Albus steepled his fingers in front of his face and regarded Harry somberly through his spectacles, his expression one of utmost seriousness. "I could not tell you because I was not sure myself. I had my theories, yes," he forestalled Harry's protest, "but I was not positive. Not to mention that I doubt you would have accepted this as quickly and easily as you appear to have done if I had just told you. Besides," he admitted sheepishly, "I could find no records of Merlin's activities. Where did you find this information, if you don't mind my asking?" Harry shook his head and explained about the changing book that he had found in the library. When he was done, Dumbledore nodded contemplatively, his eyes slightly glazed before he continued.

"I do not know who any of the descendants of Merlin are besides you. They have either died out, or the bloodline is so thin that they do not manifest any of his powers. You willmostlikely not inherit many of Merlin's abilities since you are also a were-Jachyra, and the two magics clash." When Harry looked at him inquiringly, Dumbledore elaborated his explanation. "It is rumored that Merlin was killed by a Jachyra."

When Harry nodded in confirmation, he continued, "The Jachyra and heirs of Merlin do not get along very well. That may very well be another reason you were attacked by another were-Jachyra. You needed the additional magic, and you had the blood of Merlin flowing through your veins. By infecting you, the were-Jachyra nullified your bloodlines. You are still a descendent, but your magic will not be that of Merlin's, although your power very well may surpass him. Do you understand?"

When Harry nodded and replied, "I think so," Dumbledore continued his explanation.

"Yes, I do believe that you are the most powerful of Merlin's heirs, so the Talisman will most likely find its way to you, if it is indeed sentient enough to do so. However, you will not be using it, at all, so we will not need to find out what it would do to you if you activated its power. Merlin created it, and now his descendent will destroy it before Bellatrix can get her hands on it."

Harry continued to pace for several moments before finally seating himself in his lover's lap. Once he was comfortable, he turned once again to face the Headmaster behind the desk, his face expressionless. Once again, Harry Potter was all business. Bluntly, he asked, "Has anybody figured out why Bellatrix is so interested in Sirius? It has to be more than that he is a Light Wizard and a Gryffindor, or even that he 'betrayed' the Black family by choosing not to follow Voldemort." The others shook their heads, except for Sirius, who had a contemplative look on his face.

Harry noticed and watched his godfather carefully, noticing that his eyes had glazed slightly, as if he was lost in memory. His intense staredrew the attention of the others to the animagus. Sirius appeared to be unwinding a tangled skein, almost as if he knew the answer to their question and just didn't realize it. Blinking rapidly, his gaze focused once more and he looked out at the room. "I am her opposite, protagonist to her antagonist, or vice versa. She feeds off of nightmares and fear, and I can stop her."

Three pairs of eyes clearly showed shock and incredulity at this announcement, but Harry just shrugged. "That makes sense. After all, you remained sane in Azkaban for twelve years, and just knowing you were innocent and having an animagus form wouldn't have saved you for that long. I doubt it would even save me, and I can shift into a Jachyra. Besides, if you couldn't ruin her plans somehow, then she probably wouldn't be after you, but me instead. She wants me dead, but she's obsessed with you."

Now Dumbledore turned contemplative as he frowned at nothing in particular. They all jumped when the phoenix song trilled loudly in the room, and turned to stare at Fawkes, who flew over to Harry, landing on his knee briefly before taking off again and flying over to Sirius, resting on his lap and not moving, allowing the older man to stroke his chest feathers. Harry blinked, then frowned. "Is Fawkes trying to tell us something, sir?"

Albus nodded, "I rather think he is. It appears to have something to do with the two of you?"

Remus was the one who said, "Yes and no." He was staring intently at Fawkes, who stared back at him unerringly. When Albus asked him to clarify, he said, "I think that Fawkes is telling us that we've been going about this wrong. We've been expecting Harry to be the hero, the Savior again, and he's not. His prophecy has been fulfilled, and now it's time for someone else. Are there any prophecies involving Sirius?"

The room was silent for a few moments as they all realized that once again they had placed their faith and their hopes in Harry Potter. It was true that his obligation to the wizarding world had been fulfilled with the completion of the prophecy involving himself and Tom Riddle, yet even Harry had almost automatically assumed the roll of savior once again, accepting the responsibility that others had placed on his shoulders. It came as naturally as breathing.

Dumbledore was the first to speak, "I am not sure. If there is such a prophecy, I have not heard of it, but that does not necessarily mean anything. I will check with the Arthur at the Ministry and see if there are any prophecies involving Sirius."

The other wizards nodded and excused themselves, knowing that there was nothing they could do. They each headed to their respective rooms, Remus and Sirius branching left while Harry and Severus went right, towards the stairs that would lead them to the dungeons. Harry shivered lightly as the implications struck him. He'd be stuck on the sidelines, helpless, while Sirius went up against Bellatrix, the Living Dementor. His godfather was terrified of the vile creatures, and the Witch Bitch knew that. She'd trap him in his nightmares and slay him where he stood.

Harry's brows narrowed in determination. He wouldn't let that happen. There had been people backing him the entire time when he fought Voldemort, whether it was his friends, teachers, or family like Remus. He hadn't been alone and he was damned if he'd let Sirius fight this battle on his own, either. He vowed to do whatever it took to protect his godfather. After all, he needed someone to give him away at his wedding and to spoil his and Severus' children, right? His vow etched into his mind, Harry strode towards the dungeons at a renewed pace, eyes glinting fiercely in the torchlight.

BREAK 

Severus worriedhis lower lip lightly as he followed his lover down to the dungeons. He had to admit that he was worried about Black. The potions professor had hated the man for so long, but they had been brought together by their love for Harry, and now Severus couldn't help but feel for the other man. He knew that this would be difficult, especially since Bellatrix would use the one trick he wouldn't be able to fight against without mercy.

Of course, Severus was more worried about his lover. Harry had defeated the Dark Lord at the tender age of sixteen, and had carried the burden of the world's expectations on his shoulders since he was one, although he hadn't been aware of it before coming to Hogwarts at the tender age of eleven. The Potions Master realized that Harry would not discourage the wizarding world from looking to him to save him. It would keep the press concentrating on him—his successes and his failures—and off of the true hero. Sirius didn't need the added pressure of publicity. Then again, neither did Harry, but Severus knew better than to point that out. Besides, Harry had a sort of saving-people thing that compelled him to act in ways that he might otherwise avoid.

He sighed quietly in relief when he saw the turmoil on Harry's face turn into a sort of grim determination. The young man would be all right. He'd be there to support the mutt, and Severus would be there to support him. He bore a burden of his own making; a promise to see Harry through this ordeal as unscathed as possible, even if that meant risking his life for Harry's godfather so that the young man standing in front of him wouldn't lose Black again to the sadistic bitch who had sent him beyond the Veil in the first place. Grimly, Severus matched his lover's footsteps to the dungeons.

BREAK 

Sirius was in a daze. He was supposed to take on the Dark Lady. Not Harry. Him. A large part of him was relieved that Harry didn't have to tackle this new terror head-on with a prophecy over his head. Of course, Dumbledore wasn't sure there was a prophecy concerning Sirius and his cousin, but the animagus had no doubt in his mind. Something about this just felt right—like this was what he was born to do, why he was still alive, or rather, why he had been brought back from the dead.

Sirius shuddered involuntarily as he thought of his cousin -- the Queen of Nightmares, indeed. Hadn't Sirius suffered enough while in the clutches of the Dementors, wrongfully imprisoned and accused of betraying two people that he would have gladly suffered and died for? Now he knew how Harry must have felt all those years, even though the younger wizard hadn't even been a teenager when he had faced down the Dark Lord for the first time in the body of his Defense Professor in first year.

The raven-haired man jumped as an arm wrapped itself around his waist and a lithe, warm body pressed up against his side. Looking down, Sirius offered a weak smiled to Remus, who smiled back encouragingly. "It'll be all right, Sirius. You'll see. Harry had help when defeating Voldemort, and you'll have help when you defeat your bitch of a cousin. We'll all rally around you, Sirius, you should know that. After all, you're family, and the members of a pack protect their own. I'll tell you the same thing that I told Harry…you aren't alone in this. You will never be alone in this, love. I give you my word."

Sirius smiled down at him genuinely this time and asked hopefully, "Really?"

Remus nodded and let his sincerity show in his gaze. "Really, Padfoot, dear friend. We're all here for you."

Sirius looked as if he was about to cry from the sentimentality of it all, but instead, he just smirked and bent down over the shorter man. "Actually, you're the only one I want here for me right now, Moony." He spoke in a decidedly suggestive tone, and Remus gave a feral grin. Sirius needed comfort, and sex was his way of coping with things—had been for a long time now. It was also Remus' way of manipulating or reassuring his excitable lover. Quickly, Remus grabbed hold of Sirius's sleeve and pulled him eagerly towards their chambers, and the large bed that lay within.

Remus led his lover gently over to the bed and made him sit down. He climbed into the bed and settled down behind him. The werewolf conjured up a long, black ribbon and bound up his lover's black hair in a ponytail. Then he started rubbing Sirius' tense shoulders while planting butterfly kisses along the back of his exposed neck.

Remus allowed his hands to slide down the animagus' chest and released the buckle holding his robes together. He removed the robes slowly, planting more kisses on the soft skin in front of him. Sirius relaxed under the touch of his bonded's hands and lips, and snuggled against the warm body behind him. He allowed Remus to remove his clothes, piece by piece, while the wolf himself remained fully clothed.

Remus slipped off Sirius' trousers and moved away from him. Sirius followed instantly, wearing nothing but his boxers, turning around and pushing his lover onto his back. He slid up the body of the other man and attacked his lips passionately. He let his tongue trace the smaller man's lips softly and begged him to part them. Remus smiled against Sirius' mouth and parted his lips slightly, closing his eyes. Their tongues entwined at once and Sirius began undressing his lover as they kissed.

Sirius broke the kiss long enough to remove Remus' trousers, but didn't stop his ministrations. He let his lips wander down his lover's slightly furred chest, lapping at his nipples on his way down, fingers tracing a few scars along the way. While he unbuttoned the trousers and slipped them off of Remus, he kissed and nipped at his mate's defined hipbones. Remus kept his eyes closed and just enjoyed the caresses he was receiving. By the time Sirius moved back up the tanned body underneath him, they were both completely naked.

When lips met lips once more, Remus opened his eyes. Amber met sapphire, both filled with love and desire. Remus saw the need in his lover's eyes before he closed his eyes and put all his feelings into the kiss. The werewolf wrapped his arms around his bonded and tugged on the bow holding his hair in place. It loosened quickly and soft midnight locks regained their freedom.

Sirius ground his hips against Remus' and smiled down at his lover. The werewolf grinned and gripped the grinding hips as he pulled them together as closely as possible. "I love you, Moony," Sirius breathed against his lover's skin.

"I love you too, Padfoot," Remus replied and kissed the animagus again. Hands began to explore bodies and the caresses became more intimate. The two men stroked each other into full arousal.

Sirius prepared his bonded with a lubrication spell and Remus locked his legs around his waist. The dark haired man filled the smaller man and the two of them began to move in a slow sensual rhythm.

Many pleasurable hours later, two sweaty, exhausted bodies lay entangled under the covers of the large bed; Remus, with his eyes halfway closed and Sirius, on his back, grinning. "You're great, Remus." He sighed. "You're just great."

Remus smiled softly at his bonded and reached out to stroke his hair. "You're better."


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize as belonging to Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling obviously does not belong to me.**

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Terror and Prophecies**

Harry strolled down the streets of Hogsmeade with his friends, moving from one store to the next. It was his first trip to Hogsmeade since the attack that had occurred the day after Christmas. People were still nervous, but after the attack, Bellatrix had quieted, going back into hiding. Needless to say, this worried the Order immensely. After all, if she continued to make massive attacks followed by a long period of absolute silence, they would have a harder time tracking her and the Skullbearers.

The Ministry had been trying to discover the identities of the Skullbearers, but the enemy hid themselves well, blending in with the majority of the population, even down to the tense atmosphere that seemed to be everywhere. It was almost as if they no longer existed. Harry knew that it wasn't true, but they didn't work like villains should, and that worried him. The bad guys were supposed to come out in the open and start kidnapping and killing people—not that Harry wanted more people to die, but he knew that more people had died in that one mass ambush than had died during season-long blocks under Voldemort's reign.

Harry had the identities of some of them that he had recognized through his own visions, but he could not prove it, and the Aurors had nothing with which to pull these people in. Those who had been Death Eaters that escaped Azkaban could not be pulled in again without rather damning evidence pitted against them, and the Ministry was flailing. The public, for a while, had turned against their government, demanding new officials and a new Minister. Only Harry's and Dumbledore's considerable influence had kept Arthur Weasley in office.

Sighing, Harry shook his head. He wasn't going to think about politics now. He was here with his friends, Remus and Sirius were around somewhere—they'd be joining them later for a butterbeer before heading back to the castle—and it was a beautiful day out. The sun was shining, and the temperature was rather warm, considering that it was still wintertime and there was snow on the ground.

Wandering through the streets, Harry found himself looking for a gift for Severus. Actually, he was searching for a wedding gift, since their bonding ceremony was only four months away. Draco and Ron teased him endlessly about his upcoming marriage, while Hermione thought it was sweet and fawned over him. Harry had tried, rather unsuccessfully, to turn 'Mione's attention away from him and onto Severus, but she was tenacious and Harry couldn't shake her. Even now, she was babbling on about what kind of gift Harry's lifemate would absolutely love, while Harry just rolled his eyes and tuned her out. Honestly, Salazar's suggestions of dead mice or baby snakelings had been better proposals, in his opinion.

While listening to Hermione and Ron argue, with Draco occasionally throwing in a witty remark or two of his own, Harry gazed around, his eyes finally coming to rest on a small, out of the way store that he had never noticed before. Curious, but not wanting to bother his friends, Harry caught Draco's gaze and they slipped away silently, heading for the shop.

Stepping inside the cool interior, Harry shivered lightly, looking around. The shelves were crammed with little knick-knacks, and on everything lay a fine layer of dust, as if this place was rarely ever disturbed.

Hearing a light coughing behind them, Harry and Draco whirled around, searching for the source of the noise. Seeing no one, they glanced around confusedly, starting when the cough sounded again. This time, they looked down and saw a cat peering up at them. The cat was a beautiful silver color, with emerald green eyes and small black streaks shot throughout its fur. The eyes were gentle and intelligent, laughing up at them as he sat on the floor, tail flipping casually where it wrapped around his front paws.

"Everyone's surprised to see a talking cat, so don't worry about it," he teased gently before rising to his feet and turning around. "My name is Ambrosia, by the way. Now, what is it that you're searching for, young man?" he asked, padding towards the back of the store, Harry and Draco following him. Harry shrugged and replied, "I'm really not sure. I'm looking for a gift for my mate, but I don't know what to get him."

Ambrosia stopped and looked back at him, his eyes narrowed as he explained, "You know exactly what you're looking for, even if you don't realize it. Nobody comes in here that doesn't know what they need. After all, anybody who wants something that's not in here can't even see this place." Harry blinked, then nodded when the cat's words made sense. After all, he had most certainly never needed this place before. But still…he had to have some idea of what he wanted to get for Severus. Of course, that brought up the question of when to give it to him. Harry knew that he could always wait until the next holiday, but quickly realized that he really didn't want to do that.

What he needed was something that was practical, and that he could give to the man right away, since his impatience wouldn't let him wait. Frowning in contemplation, Harry wandered down the aisles, still heading to the back of the store. Pausing suddenly, he turned and moved down a row of shelves on his right, turning left at their end, followed by two more rights and another left. Blinking, he glanced around, noticing idly that Draco had followed him closely. His eyes raked over the shelves as he searched for the item that he knew was here. Ah, there it was…right next to the Serpent Talisman.

Harry just stood there, mouth agape for several moments before he shut it with a click. The Serpent Talisman had made it as far as Hogsmeade, and now he had found it. 'Figures,' he thought sullenly to himself. 'I try and forget about the damn Talisman and the prophecy concerning Sirius that might or might not exist, and the bloody thing has to show up next to Sev's gift.' He snorted indelicately, just knowing that Sirius' prophecy existed and he'd get to hear it this evening, after they got back. That was just how his luck ran.

Sighing, Harry reached out and touched the Serpent Talisman, which began to glow brightly in the dim shadows of the shop, chasing back the darkness and forcing Harry and Draco to shield their eyes. Harry felt the warmth caress along his skin, flowing over him in joyous greeting at being reunited with its Maker's descendent, and Harry shuddered.

Eventually, the glow died down and the rapid whirlpool of magic slowed to a mere trickle, imbuing his skin with warmth. Once the roiling power had calmed, Harry placed the Talisman around his neck and slipped it under his robe. He'd pay for it, of course, but he didn't want to risk anybody else entering the store and recognizing him and the Talisman he bore.

Once the pendant was tucked away, Harry reached out to the shelf again and drew down Severus' present, gazing at the small intricacies on its cover, running his fingers along its smooth surface. It was a book, which in and of itself wasn't unusual. What was unusual about this particular tome was the information contained within. The book had potions created and recorded by Salazar Slytherin himself, and they were in Parseltongue. Glancing through it quickly, Harry grinned when he found what he was looking for…a potion that would allow Severus to read Parseltongue. He'd have to get the ingredients from him without him knowing of course, and then he'd have to convince him to drink it, since he didn't want Severus to know about his gift until he could understand it, but he was positive that the payoff would be worth the effort.

He found the potion was a rather difficult one, but it was actually made easier by the serpent tongue it was written it. Snakes tended to use images to describe the world around them, and as Harry read down the page, he saw vivid descriptions of what he had to do and how it would react with the other ingredients. The entire potion was laid out before him in step-by-step instructions colored across the pages of the book. Grinning, Harry moved towards the front of the store, searching for either Ambrosia or his owner so that he could pay for the book and the Talisman.

When they reached the front, they found Ambrosia cleaning his whiskers and ignoring them. Seeing nobody else, the two boys waited for the cat to acknowledge them. After several minutes, Ambrosia looked up and asked, "Why are you still here? You found what you wanted, did you not?"

Harry nodded his head wordlessly and then replied, "How much are they?"

Ambrosia rolled his eyes at them and replied impatiently, "You came into the store because you needed something, as does everybody else who comes here. Some of those people are little more than street waifs, who can't afford anything. This store does not require payment, as I am a cat and have no use for either muggle or wizard money."

Harry nodded again and bit his lip gently, worrying it between his teeth. Then his eyes lit up with an idea and he reached into his cloak. He had planned on being out all day, so he had visited the kitchens earlier that morning and gotten some food to take with him. Rummaging around, Harry found a chicken leg, spelled so that it wouldn't spoil in the heat. Conjuring a bowl, he set the chicken in it and thanked Ambrosia before turning and heading out of the store, Ambrosia's gleeful thanks trailing behind him.

Walking out of the store, he was bombarded with noise—screams mostly, along with the icy undertones of curses being cast. Turning instinctively towards the sound, Harry slipped easily into Jachyra form and padded off. Draco didn't even hesitate as he shifted into a small, but poisonous, viper and slithered quickly after Amarth, who had paused at the end of the street, waiting for him. Swiftly, Draco moved up to perch on Amarth's back, and the Jachyra started moving again.

It didn't take them long to find the source of the screams, and Amarth growled in anger while Draco hissed menacingly above him. Letting Draco slide to the ground, moving along the crowd and snapping at the Skullbearers, Harry searched wildly for his bonded. Ever since he had created the two-way bond, they had been able to seal him away almost completely. His Jachyra still sensed when they were in danger, but it was weaker now and wouldn't take him directly to them. Right now, Sirius and Remus were in the most danger.

Amarth found the large group of Skullbearers easily as he slipped through the crowd, attacking any fool that stood in his way. Before he could reach them, however, one of the Skullbearers caught sight of him and sent up a warning cry, throwing the Serpent Talisman signal high into the sky. With that, the Skullbearers disappeared, and with them went Sirius. Amarth howled furiously and vowed to find his legal guardian and rip his kidnappers to shreds. For now, though, he had all of his other bonded to take care of.

Quickly, he moved over to Remus, checking to make sure that he was all right, shifting back into Harry and using his healing abilities to ensure that Remus recovered quickly. When he was done, Remus rose shakily and followed him as they searched for Severus, Lucius, the Weasley twins, and Draco, all of who were nearby. They found Draco first, a little roughed up but not really injured.

As they moved down the street, Harry winced at the sight. Buildings had been reduced to little more than rubble, and people were lying, bleeding, on the sidewalks and in the streets. Harry noted that Aurors were among the bunch as well, and even as he hunted for his bonded, more Aurors arrived, along with several healing teams from St. Mungo's.

Desperate now, Harry opened the mind-link completely and called for all of his bonded. The twins answered strongly. Their shop had not been in the immediate vicinity of the attack, and several people had taken refuge inside it. Assured that they were busy, but safe and unharmed, Harry continued calling for Severus and Lucius. His lover answered first, his mental voice groggy as if he were just waking up…or regaining consciousness. He had Lucius with him, and the blonde man was in a rather bad way. He had taken a layered Cruciatus for Severus.

Quickly, Harry bolted down the streets of Hogsmeade, dodging rubble and trying to block out the sounds of the injured, the grieving, and the dying. Turning down a small alley, Harry, Draco, and Remus found the two men leaning against the wall, Lucius with his eyes closed. Glancing at Severus, Harry decided that he was in better shape and leaned over Lucius. Placing his hands gently over the blonde man's heart, Harry sent forth his soothing magic and healed the worst of the man's injuries. Lucius Malfoy would be sore for a while, but at least he'd be alive.

Harry quickly tended to Severus' injuries, then the men made their way back to the streets, quickly moving towards Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes, where they asked the twins to come to Hogwarts. At first, they refused, until Draco pointed out Harry's distressed state at losing Sirius. Quickly, the packed up what they'd need for a few days and closed the shop—those who had taken refuge were now out in the heart of the town, doing what they could for the injured. Leading the group out a back door, they made their way to Hogwarts.

Upon arrival, Harry headed straight for the dungeons. Severus sent Draco to get the Headmaster, who no doubt knew about the attack by now, and everybody else followed after the raven-haired teen. Once he had reached his quarters, Harry walked inside and collapsed on the couch, staring into the flames that Severus had started upon entering the room.

Harry's eyes glazed over as he struggled to locate Sirius. The man was apparently unconscious, or else Harry would have been able to track his thoughts. He wasn't dead, though, and that gave Harry hope. When Sirius regained consciousness, Harry would be able to locate him and send out a rescue team. Harry very deliberately used the term 'when' as opposed to 'if.' He couldn't afford to think like that, or else he'd go insane.

Severus and Remus sat on either side of him, while the twins sat across from them. When Draco entered, he went and sat with his father, off to the left side of the room. Harry didn't even feel them, nor did he notice when Dumbledore entered the room. Their conversation passed by in a muffled haze, and Harry wasn't aware of the sympathetic and concerned looks he received from all those present. Eventually, the Headmaster left, as there was nothing he could do for Harry, and the people of Hogsmeade needed him. Draco left with the twins, who decided that they'd remain in the school for a little while, and Lucius headed back to the Ministry to deal with the captured Skullbearers. These were only the first few in a long line of them, and the Light needed all the information it could get on why they had attacked today and what they planned on doing in the future.

As darkness fell, Severus stripped Harry and laid him in their bed, curling up beside him and trying to comfort the distraught teen. Soon, Harry fell into a restless sleep.

_**Vision**_

_Harry glanced around and growled deep in his throat. He was in a familiar corridor, with doors lining both sides. Ignoring them, Harry moved forward until he came to the door at the end of the hallway. _

_Without hesitating, Harry flung the door open and stepped into the room that contained the prophecies held within the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry. Hearing a low whimper, Harry turned to his right and saw his godfather, curled up in a fetus position and shivering with cold. Harry moved over to him and leaned down, placing a hand on Sirius' shoulder, causing the older man to jump in surprise and look up at him. "Harry?" he croaked quietly, his voice and expression disbelieving. Harry just nodded and gestured around them, helping Sirius to his feet._

_Obviously, Sirius recognized the place. With a glance at Harry for confirmation and permission, he wandered slowly along the shelves of glass spheres, searching for one in particular. Grinning when he found it, he reached for the prophecy, only to be stopped by Harry, who had his head cocked to the side, listening. With a warning gaze to Sirius, Harry shifted into Amarth and checked out the dream world, assured that all of his senses worked in this realm as well as in the waking world. Once he was satisfied, Amarth nodded to Sirius, who grabbed the sphere and smashed it against the floor of the room._

_No ghostly figure was projected from the sphere, only a voice, and both Amarth and Sirius listened carefully._

_Born among serpents_

_The light child comes forth_

_Thrown into darkness_

_By friend, law, foe, and family_

_His greatest weakness_

_Shall become his greatest strength_

_For who can fight against the world of Shadows_

_Save those who have survived it first_

_Betrayed, incarcerated, murdered, and loved_

_The light child shall have the power_

_To triumph over dark terror_

_Aided by magic, faith, and love_

_The light child born and raised in darkness_

_Trust will allow him to conquer the shadows_

_Without trust, the shadows gain strength_

_If the light child does not trust_

_Then that child will die in the shade's clutches._

_Harry and Sirius shivered, and Harry muttered, "Of course, make his easy to understand. Mine was simpler, I think, but it sure sounded a hell of a lot more complicated."_

_Sirius snorted with laughter at his godson's scowl, so much like Severus'. Harry turned to him and smiled. "I know where you are now. We're coming to get you out. Just hold on a little longer, all right?" he asked. Sirius nodded, trust in his open gaze, and Harry swore to himself that he would not fail his adoptive parent…not again._

_The two wizards shared a comfortable silence for a few minutes until Harry felt the slight tingling that indicated an end to a vision. Staring at Sirius, he spoke quickly. "We're coming for you. All of us. Just hang on a few more hours and we'll be there. I love you, Sirius. I won't lose you again." Sirius nodded and replied, "I'll still be around when you arrive. I don't fancy dying permanently and not ever seeing you again. I love you too, Harry." With that, the vision ended._

_**End Vision**_

Harry sat up in bed, waking Severus in the process. Turning to his lover, Harry grinned broadly. "I know the prophecy, and I know where Sirius is."


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognize.**

**WARNING: Sexual content, and some mild language.**

_Last chapter:_

_Harry sat up in bed, waking Severus in the process. Turning to his lover, Harry said, "I know the prophecy, and I know where Sirius is."_

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Planning**

Severus quickly became more alert and glanced at the clock, then groaned, flopping back down on the bed. "That's lovely and all, Harry, really, but it's only 2:30 in the morning. The Headmaster isn't up yet, and I'm not about to disturb him. That old man needs all the sleep he can get, and a few hours won't change the prophecy or your godmutt's location. Now, come back to bed."

Harry frowned down at his lover, shaking his head. "You don't know that. What if they decide to move him before we come up with a plan? What if they find another way to get the prophecy? What if they torture Sirius? What if they—" Harry's words were abruptly cut off as Severus yanked him down and kissed him forcefully on the mouth. When he finally let him up for air, Harry tried to glare at him. Unfortunately, it wasn't working very well since his eyes had darkened in lust and he was already half-hard.

Severus just smirked and pulled his mate down on top of him again, rolling them both over so that he was on top. Nipping his way down Harry's throat and along his collarbone, he assured his younger lover, "Don't worry so much, Harry. He's not going anywhere, and knowing that mutt, he's causing them far more trouble than they'll cause him."

Harry sighed, listening to reason – and his libido – and allowed Severus to continue on his downwards path. Stopping at his nipples, Severus flicked a tongue out, laving first the left, then the right, blowing cool air onto them until Harry cried out, writhing beneath him. Smirking in satisfaction, Severus moved his hands to take the place of his mouth and continued traveling down to the young man's navel.

Lightly, he nibbled around his lover's navel, before slipping his tongue inside. Harry bucked up at this touch and Severus used his hands to hold Harry's hips down against the bed, preventing him from thrusting up towards his tongue. He continued to languidly tongue-fuck the small depression until Harry was begging and pleading for him to continue his ministrations further down. Obligingly, Severus nipped his way across Harry's taut stomach and down his hips, bypassing the younger man's groin altogether, choosing instead to lick and nibble along the smooth flesh of his lover's thighs.

By this time, Harry was cursing him and pleading at the same time for him to keep doing whatever the hell it was that he was doing to make the younger man feel so damned good. "Fuck…dammit, Snape…oooh, there…yes…up, dammit!" Severus listened to the sounds his lover was making, waiting until his mate actually started whimpering before moving up and swallowing him in one smooth motion. Harry yelped and would have rammed himself down Severus' throat if the older man hadn't been pinning him to the bed.

Using tongue, lips, and very lightly, teeth, Severus teased his lover mercilessly, bringing him to edge and then backing off, over and over and over again. By now, Harry was swearing profusely, begging Severus to finish it. Finally, Severus had pity on his impatient lover and swallowed, sucking hard and humming deep in his throat. Harry came, crying out his lover's name before falling limp once more, laying sedately on the bed, eyes lidded in his sated condition.

Quickly, Severus summoned some oil from the bathroom and rubbed it into his hands, warming it. Starting at Harry's shoulders, Severus massaged his lover from head to foot, soothing knots and very nearly putting Harry to sleep. When he finished with the front, Severus turned Harry over onto his stomach and proceeded to massage the warmed oil into his back, easing the tight knots he found there, until Harry was little more than a puddle of golden-hued flesh beneath him, his large and innocent violet orbs half-closed in pleasure.

Grinning, Severus moved his hands up to cup his lover's arse and massaged the oil into it before smoothing Harry's insides with his fingers. Harry groaned and Severus could feel him hardening again. Once three fingers had been inserted, stretching Harry enough, Severus pulled the young man onto his knees, leaning forward and pressing his shoulders into the mattress. Gently, he slid into his lover's body, and they both moaned at the feeling of completeness that came with their coupling.

Together they moved, a gentle rhythm that gradually grew faster and more forceful as they neared completion. Severus reached down and stroked in time with his thrusts, and soon Harry was coming for the second time, crying out Severus' name. The clenching of muscles wrung Severus' own orgasm from him, and they collapsed, panting softly. After a few seconds, Severus gently pulled out from his lover and they both turned on their sides, facing each other.

Harry stretched languidly and smiled at Severus. "All right, I guess we can wait a few more hours. I'm too tired to move right now, anyhow." Severus chuckled tiredly and cleaned them and the sheets with a wave of his wand, snuggling down into the warmth the covers provided. Harry slipped down next to him and they cuddled, both drifting back to sleep.

BREAK 

Several hours later, Harry woke up again, stretching carefully. Slipping out of bed, he headed for the shower, leaving his lover to sleep a little longer. Finished, he pinned his hair back with a silver wolf clip and dressed, grabbing Salazar before walking to the kitchen and starting the coffee. Harry was wearing tight black jeans that hugged his hips and arse, leaving little to the imagination. His suede boots were buttery soft and flexible, with one-inch thick heels, allowing him to walk, and even run, comfortably in them. His shirt was a deep purple, so dark it was almost black, with the top three buttons undone to show off the sun-kissed skin beneath it.

Harry had just poured the coffee into two mugs when Severus stumbled into the kitchen. Looking him over, Harry whistled appreciatively. Severus' hair was still damp, lying in loose waves just past his shoulders. He was wearing black slacks and a Slytherin green dress shirt, the sleeves pulled up, baring muscular arms, and four buttons undone, showing off the alabaster flesh underneath.

Harry smirked as he handed over Severus' cup of coffee. "I can see we're dressed for a rescue mission." Severus snarled back at him silently, not quite capable of actually forming words quite yet. Still, Harry knew what he meant. The older man was only partially dressed, and there was no guarantee that either of them would be allowed on today's rescue mission in any case. As Dumbledore would say, it hit too close to home, and Harry would be running on emotions more than logic.

After coffee, the two men headed up for the Headmaster's office. Suddenly, Harry stopped and whirled around, running back into the bedroom. Severus waited impatiently, raising an eyebrow when Harry came back out, something wrapped in velvet clutched in his hands. Harry shook his head, silently promising to explain later, then continued on his way to Dumbledore's office. Giving the password, he trotted up the stairs and straight into the office, not even bothering to knock.

Albus Dumbledore looked up as Harry entered and knew immediately that he had information concerning Sirius. He opened his mouth, but Harry just held up a hand and shook his head, and the wizard subsided. "You may want to call an Order meeting soon. I know the Prophecy, the full one, and I know where Sirius is being held. Also, I have the Serpent Talisman in my possession," he added, holding out the velvet wrapped relic.

Albus didn't even bother holding his hand out for it, knowing that Harry would never hand the artifact over to him willingly. Nodding, he replied, "Very well, Mr. Potter. I will call a meeting for 8:00 tonight. I trust that you will be there?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I won't be there, but the Shadow Walker will be."

Dumbledore blinked, then nodded with a small smile. "Very well, then. I will look forward to meeting the Shadow Walker tonight at the Order meeting." Harry nodded gracefully and took his leave, the Talisman still held tightly in his hands.

Once they reached the hallway, Harry took his leave of Severus, heading instead towards Remus' rooms, hoping to provide some comfort. After all, the werewolf had comforted him after Sirius' banishment beyond the Veil. Well, at least, he had comforted him as much as Harry had allowed him to. Now he was bound and determined to return the favor.

Knocking on the door to Remus and Sirius' chambers, Harry waited. After ten minutes of solid knocking with no results, Harry whispered the password and walked into the rooms. Glancing around, he bypassed the kitchen in favor of heading for the bedroom. Sure enough, Remus was laying on top of the covers, still fully dressed, his face pressed tightly into the pillow.

Harry sighed softly. He knew that Remus wouldn't confide in him about his feelings right now. At least, not while he was like this. Quickly, Harry shifted into Amarth and leapt lightly onto the bed, disturbing Remus as little as possible. The werewolf must have been absolutely exhausted, because he didn't even stir when the bed dipped under the Jachyra's weight. With a quiet wuffing sound, Amarth curled around Remus, offering his unspoken support. Unconsciously, Remus curled up next to his godson, accepting the warmth and comfort offered to him and sighing.

Amarth waited patiently for a good three hours before Remus began to stir, curling into him before withdrawing as he realized that it wasn't Sirius who was wrapped around him. Glancing up, he blinked and spoke softly, "Hello, Amarth. Are you all right?"

Amarth rolled his expressive eyes and stared pointedly at Remus, stating bluntly, **_I'm fine. You, on the other hand, look like death warmed over…twice._**

Remus snorted and climbed out of bed, muttering something about rude, unfeeling bastards who spent far too much time hanging around evil Potions Masters. Amarth couldn't help it. He chuckled. Then he hopped off the bed and padded into the kitchen, shifting back in order to start the coffee. Once that was started, he transformed back into Amarth and curled up at the feet of Remus' chair. When the werewolf walked into the kitchen after having showered, he smiled softly down at Amarth and said, "Just let me get my coffee. Then I'll join you for a while, all right?" Amarth nodded his massive head, agreeing to wait, and Remus poured himself a cup of coffee and downed it quickly.

Half an hour later, a Jachyra and a large wolf padded out of the professor's rooms and into the hallways of Hogwarts. The halls were empty, as most of the students remained in their dorm rooms, sleeping in or doing the homework that they had procrastinated on until the day before it was due. Amarth continuously sent reassurances through his link with Moony, but he didn't tell his canine companion that he knew where Sirius was. He knew that if he did, the werewolf would want to charge in and free him, and Harry wasn't sure that it would work, especially with the Prophecy thrown into the mix.

Several hours later, Amarth and Remus returned to the Remus' rooms and shifted back to humans. Remus smiled at Harry, saying simply, "Thank you."

Harry returned his smile and replied just as easily, "You're welcome." Then he glanced at the clock and said, "You'd better get ready, Remus. The Order meeting is in an hour."

Remus turned to Harry, surprise written on his face as he asked, "Order meeting!"

Harry swallowed nervously. "Oops. I forgot to mention it, didn't I? I talked to Professor Dumbledore this morning, and he said he'd call an Order meeting for eight tonight. The Order of the Phoenix is finally going to meet the Shadow Walker."

Remus frowned. "Don't they already know that you're the Shadow Walker?"

Harry shook his head and was about to explain when a sudden hissing interrupted him. Salazar lifted his head and turned it towards the door. _The large female sssnake issss coming, Masssster_ he hissed in warning. Harry nodded, thanking Sal before turning to greet Nagini. He wondered idly what news she bore, as she very rarely made the trip to Hogwarts herself, usually sending a snake delegate. Nagini slithered inside, greeting him politely and acknowledging Remus, even though he couldn't understand Parseltongue.

Turning to Harry, she hissed, _You know where your dog-man issssss, yessss?_ When Harry nodded, unable to keep from wondering how she knew that he had discovered Sirius' whereabouts, she continued, _He can defeat the nasssssty lady?_ she asked. Harry nodded again in confirmation and Nagini hissed in satisfaction. _Good. Then I will ssssshow you a sssecret passsssageway into the dungeonssss. You will not sssssee any of the marked men._

Harry nodded, thanking her again and inviting her to the Order meeting so that she could show everyone how to get in, using a projected image of the building where Sirius was being held. Nagini accepted, and Harry turned to Remus, explaining to him that Voldemort's familiar had information that would prove useful to them in the plans to be made tonight. Remus just took his word for it, not arguing. If Harry said that Nagini was trustworthy, then he certainly wasn't about to question the were-Jachyra.

Forty-five minutes later found them entering the Headmaster's office once again, and then walking into the hidden room. Harry was surprised that they hadn't used Grimmauld Place this time, but realized that Dumbledore didn't want to leave the school after yesterday's attack in Hogsmeade. Severus, Draco, and the twins were already there, waiting. A few more people filed in before Dumbledore followed, closing the door and warding it behind him.

Harry kept his hood up as the Order settled down and Nagini lay underneath the large table, having arrived before any of the people now assembled in the room. Dumbledore stood and called the meeting to order, stating, "I know that this is very short notice, but we have received a great deal of information today, and thought it best to act upon it as soon as possible." Turning to Harry, he gestured to him, asking, "Perhaps you'd care to introduce yourself to the rest of the Order?"

Standing, Harry lowered his hood and waited patiently for the gasps and sudden burst of noise to subside. His voice gravelly with its altered, more animalistic features, he spoke, "Greetings, Order of the Phoenix. I am the Shadow Walker, leader of the Shadowen."

Cries rose at this, and he held up a hand, asking for just one question at a time. The first one, unsurprisingly, came from Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody himself. "We were under the impression that Harry Potter was the leader of the Shadowen."

Harry shook his head, laughing inwardly at how this was going. "Harry Potter is an ally of the Shadowen, and I allowed him to be a delegate between our two groups, obtaining information from you as well as from my Shadowen, and keeping the two groups working towards a common goal." Several rather unflattering comments flew through the air after this, but Harry just ignored them, seating himself regally and turning to face Dumbledore expectantly.

The old wizard quickly brought the rest of the Order under control before speaking again. "The Shadow Walker has come to us tonight to share with us what he knows, and to help us rescue Sirius Black. Without his help, we may have not found our missing comrade until it was too late to do anything." The Order members were still watching him suspiciously, but at least now they seemed willing to listen first before passing judgment. Satisfied, Dumbledore turned back to Harry, his eyes twinkling.

Harry sighed inaudibly, then told the Order where Sirius was. He was hidden in a small forest glade known as the Shadow Realm, a place that only the most powerful of individuals could enter, a place where everything and nothing was real at the same time, where a straight path could go in circles and a flight of stairs turn upside down. He then repeated the Prophecy for all to hear.

_Born among serpents_

_The light child comes forth_

_Thrown into darkness_

_By friend, law, foe, and family_

_His greatest weakness_

_Shall become his greatest strength_

_For who can fight against the world of Shadows_

_Save those who have survived it first_

_Betrayed, incarcerated, murdered, and loved_

_The light child shall have the power_

_To triumph over dark terror_

_Aided by magic, faith, and love_

_The light child born and raised in darkness_

_Trust will allow him to conquer the shadows_

_Without trust, the shadows gain strength_

_If the light child does not trust_

_Then that child will die in the shade's clutches._

When he was done, he sighed and turned to Dumbledore, awaiting the old wizard's next move. For this, he would trust his Headmaster, the leader of the Order of the Phoenix.

When Albus inclined his head slightly, Harry let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding and set down the velvet-wrapped Serpent Talisman, unwrapping it on the table for all to see. Once more, sound broke out in the room as the people claimed that only Harry Potter could truly wield the powerful relic.

Once Dumbledore had quieted them once more, he spoke softly. "It is true that Harry Potter is the most powerful of Merlin's remaining heirs. He, however, is not the only one. The Shadow Walker can use the Talisman as well, which is why Harry handed it to him. This mission is far too close to home for Harry to go, so instead we are sending the Shadow Walker."

"We will bring the Serpent Talisman along as a bargaining chip, should we run into any difficulties. Since the Shadow Walker is an heir of Merlin, he is capable of destroying the artifact, and will do so as soon as we have retrieved Sirius Black. The retrieval team will be sent out tomorrow evening at five, and will consist of the Shadow Walker, Remus Lupin, Severus Snape, Draco Malfoy, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Alastor Moody, and Lucius Malfoy, who will be joining us later this evening and remaining until after the mission."

Nobody contested him, although it was clear that quite a few wanted to. Harry breathed silently in relief when he realized that nobody had noticed that all of the bonded were going with the exception of Harry Potter, who would be replaced instead by the Shadow Walker.

His expression intent, the Shadow Walker stared at each of the Order members in turn, watching to see who would flinch and who dared to meet his gaze and hold it. Satisfied with the results, he held his hand below the table and Nagini pressed her head against his hand, indicating that she was ready to do her part.

Quickly, the Shadow Walker raised his hand and cast a three dimensional building with a flick of his wrist. As Nagini hissed softly to him, he moved the picture, outlining the point of entrance, various exits and possible escape routes, and most importantly, Sirius' location.

Nobody questioned how he had gathered such intelligence, but he could see the suspicion in their eyes. 'Such mistrust,' he observed ruefully. 'I suppose that I have given them no reason to trust me, but I cannot think that I have done them harm, either. I have been nothing but helpful,' he thought with a wicked grin that drew more suspicion towards his person. 'Oops. Better watch that. Not everyone here is one of your bonded, Harry,' he chastised himself.

Composing himself once more and silently challenging those assembled to call him on the grin, the Shadow Walker wrapped up his presentation and waited calmly for the meeting to end. Dumbledore finished the meeting with a reminder for times and locations, and let them go.

Dismissed, Harry waited until the others had all left before taking his leave as well, heading back towards the dungeons. He was hungry, and he had classes tomorrow. After all, being a hero certainly was only a part-time job, and even then it was never consistent.


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize from Harry Potter belongs to me. I've written this for 27 chapters now. Does it really matter anymore!**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Rescue and Capture**

Harry sighed as he shifted back into his Shadow Walker persona, careful to appear animalistic enough to be unrecognizable as Harry Potter, but human enough that they couldn't tell what the animal characteristics represented. After all, if they noticed the Jachyra in him, then they'd surely connect the Shadow Walker with Harry Potter, and that would defeat the entire purpose of separating the two.

As Harry strolled towards the Headmaster's office, keeping to the shadows, he puzzled over Dumbledore's selection for the rescue mission. He understood the sending of all the bonded, since their combined powers would make them a force to be reckoned with. Not to mention that Draco, Lucius, and Severus had all had Death Eater training, even though the younger Malfoy had never taken the Mark.

But why was Moody thrown in there? Was he there just to throw off suspicion as to Harry's true identity? But then why didn't he send others as well? Did he have some responsibility that they weren't aware of? Was he sent for his paranoia, to keep them safe and to point out potential danger that the rest of them might not notice?

Salazar squeezed gently from his place wrapped around Harry's upper arm, hissing contentedly before drifting back to sleep. Salazar had opted to come along with them on this rescue mission, and Harry didn't have the heart to refuse him. Besides, Sal had proven invaluable before, and he may very well do so again this night.

Murmuring the password, Harry slipped inside and allowed the stairs to carry him up to the office. Everybody's arrival was staggered so as to avoid rousing suspicion. Draco, the Weasley twins, and Remus were already in the room, Harry was just arriving, and Moody, Lucius, and Severus would be there within the next twenty minutes.

Half an hour later, Dumbledore was wishing them luck and handing them individual portkeys, which delivered them at the edges of the Shadow Realm. None of them even wanted to contemplate what strings he had pulled to get the portkeys. Once they had all arrived, they gathered around the Shadow Walker to figure out what they were going to do next.

Silently, Harry took in his surroundings. The manor where Sirius was being held prisoner rose up in front of them, drab and gray and creepy looking. Harry rolled his eyes – it looked like something straight out of a horror flick, all gloomy and shielded in mist. Of course, the mist was likely a cover for various deadly traps, which was why Moody and Remus were there.

Turning to Remus, Alastor Moody nodded and Remus shifted into Moony, tilting his head up and sniffing at the air around them, searching for the enemy that no doubt surrounded them, even if that enemy wasn't aware of the intruders in their midst. Turning, the wolf padded off towards the manor and the others followed him silently.

Harry took point, his keen senses and powerful magic giving him an advantage should they run headlong into danger. Draco and Lucius were behind and to either side of him, with the twins behind them. Severus and Moody took up the rear, watching their backs.

Silently, they slipped through the mist and the darkness, careful to follow Moony's footsteps and to avoid the traps hidden within the fog. After a solid hour of trudging through the fog, often switching direction or backtracking to find another, safer path, the wrought-iron gates of the manor loomed up in front of them. There were no Skullbearers guarding the gates, and Harry realized that Bellatrix was very arrogant and secure in her power.

Regrouping, they had a hurried discussion about how to get around the gates. Alarms were bound to go off no matter what they tried, so they decided to go through the gates the 'Gryffindor' way and announce their entrance with a bang.

Bracing themselves for a mad dash and a likely exchange of curses, the group watched as the Shadow Walker summoned raw power and slammed it forward, into the gates, rendering them ineffective scraps of twisted, burning metal. The alarms went off, a tangible pressure in the air, and the rescue team bolted, dashing full-tilt for the front door, Moony leading the way and dodging more traps as he went.

Reading the wards on the front doors, Harry snapped his power forward once more, slamming into the heavy obstacles. The doors flashed, but remained standing, and Harry cursed, going from full speed to a dead stop on the turn of a dime. Lucius and Draco managed to avoid a collision with him, but when the twins skidded into them, they all went down in a large heap of curses and tangled limbs. Quickly, Harry squirmed his way out from the bottom of the pile, turning to his right and throwing a stunning hex at the first Skullbearer he saw.

The rescue mission quickly turned sour from there, as the team worked on defending themselves from attack while Harry worked frantically at breaking through the wards on the door, knowing that they were hopelessly outnumbered. The wards were similar to his own in-built protection as a Jachyra, absorbing any magic thrown at them. Cursing, Harry decided to fight fire with fire, knowing that he was about to give himself away to the enemy, as well as to Moody.

With a howl, he threw himself at the front doors, shifting into Amarth mid-leap. He crashed into the doors with a yelp, feeling the enforced wood crack and give way. Backing up, he threw himself at the doors again. Over and over he charged, each time weakening the last remaining inanimate barrier between him and his godfather.

With a loud groan, the doors finally gave way, taking Amarth with them. Snarling in fierce triumph, Amarth climbed out of the ruins and turned back around, trotting out the door, intent on getting the others to safety. Well, at least getting them inside and out of the open.

Knowing that his cover was blown, he shifted back into Harry and grabbed the twins, dragging the least experienced fighters inside first. Draco followed silently. After him came Moony, Severus, Lucius, and Moody.

Once inside, Harry set up a barrier of his own where the doors had been, preventing the Skullbearers from entering or sending curses through them. Quickly, he took stock of the injuries. All of them bore scratches and bruises, as well as signs of minor hexes, but nothing life-threatening. Knowing that they were short on time, Harry quickly brushed his hand over each of them, healing the small wounds. The bruises would have to remain, as they took too much time to heal. Moody was staring at him angrily, but Harry just returned his glare with a cool gaze of his own, and Moody broke contact first.

Turning around, Harry turned to Remus, who had shifted back to human form once inside the manor. "Any ideas where we go now? Sirius is more closely bonded to you than to me." Remus nodded and turned, staying to the shadows and heading for a set of stairs leading up. Harry frowned. Why would they have Sirius upstairs rather than down in the dungeons? Nagini's report had indicated that he would be below them when they entered the manor. Anxious and tense, he gestured for the others to follow, then moved up beside Remus. There was no way he was letting the other man take point, not if he didn't have to.

Remus glanced at him, and they exchanged words silently, before Harry nodded and dropped back slightly, staying on Remus' right and shifting back into the Shadow Walker. He sniffed at the air, noting with surprise that any trails were at least several days old. It was as if this place was very rarely lived in, or at least, as if this area didn't get a lot of visitors. Harry frowned. These were the only stairs he could see, and they only led from one room, so how was it possible that nobody had climbed these stairs in several days?

Now he was getting worried. Beyond the outside attack, which hadn't proved to be all that deadly, though it had certainly appeared to be while they were in the middle of the firefight, and a handful of minor traps that were easily detected, nothing had stopped them. In fact, now that he thought about it, the attack out there had seemed more of a token resistance, not really intended to kill any of them.

Growling, he voiced his thoughts out loud, waiting to see who would answer him. Moody replied first, his voiced as hushed as Harry's had been. "It is likely that she set up the battle scene so that we'd be driven inside. I doubt we can go back now without landing in the middle of a trap. Then again, going forward is bound to lead us into a trap as well, at this point."

The others murmured their agreement, but they all continued to press on, realizing that they had no choice but to move forward if they ever wanted to rescue Sirius. Reaching the top of the stairs, Harry gazed around the landing, noticing that several more staircases branched off from the platform they were on. Some of them led up, while others led down. Some of them led to other platforms where yet more staircases branched off.

Harry growled low in his throat and looked at Remus. "Any idea where we're going from here, Remus?" he asked softly. The werewolf shrugged and turned towards a staircase on his right that led downwards into another room. The others followed his lead, keeping their eyes open and senses extended for any trace of danger. After ten minutes of traveling down the stairs and not getting any closer to their goal, Harry stopped and held out a hand, snarling in frustration. Glancing around, he noticed that the stairs they had just walked down were no longer there. In fact, there were no longer any stairs in front of them, either.

Dammit! Harry swore loudly and fluently, using words that he wasn't even sure were real. He managed to get his point across, though. Severus looked on amusedly, while the others gaped at him, surprised that the Golden Boy knew such foul language. When Harry finally wound down, Fred slapped him on the back, exclaiming, "That was excellent, mate!"

George piped in on his other side, saying, "I don't believe I've heard you curse before, Harry. It's about time."

Lucius just rolled his eyes and glanced around, noting idly that three new staircases had shown up, two leading down and one leading up and to the right. Apparently, Remus had noticed too, once he had gotten over his shock and consternation at hearing Harry swear. He scented each set of stairs before shaking his head and remaining in position. Harry had calmed down enough by this time to notice the new staircases as well. He too sniffed at the air, before turning towards the one that led upwards and starting to climb.

Remus called after him, "Harry, Sirius isn't up there! You should know that."

Harry didn't turn back but instead called over his shoulder, "This place is warped and twisted, Remus. I'm pretty sure that we're actually going down on this set, up on one of the others, and nowhere on the third. It wouldn't surprise me if we appear to be running upside down on a few of these. Now, let's move, shall we? I don't think the stairs around you are about to change anytime soon."

The others shared glances between them, with the exception of Severus, who was already following after his lover. Moody just shrugged – his only job on this mission was to help defend the bonded and to ensure that Harry had the opportunity to destroy the Serpent Talisman before the Queen of Nightmares could use it. Sighing, they followed the Shadow Walker and Severus.

Harry smirked when he felt the others following him and slowed down to allow his lover to walk even with him. As they walked sedately side by side, Severus asked, "How did you know where the stairs led, or that they weren't going to change again?"

Harry looked at him, amused, and asked, "What makes you so sure that I know where these stairs lead any better than any of the others?"

Severus rolled his eyes and retorted, "Because if you didn't, you wouldn't have moved until you had conferred with the others."

The Shadow Walker laughed lightly, a purr evident in his voice as he replied, "A big snake spoke to a little snake, who then told me." Severus smirked in understanding. Nagini was talking to Salazar, who was then talking to Harry and telling him which way to go. Ingenious, really. I mean, who would expect the powerful Savior of the Wizarding World to depend on a small cobra for directions?

What seemed like hours later, but was in actuality no more than forty-five minutes, they came to a silver door with the Talisman Mark in full color emblazed across it. Smiling in grim satisfaction, Harry pushed the door open and walked straight into the dungeons. The others followed him, cringing at the tangible feeling of sorrow, fear, and despair that permeated the dungeon, as well as the awful stench of sweat, blood, and fear.

Remus walked straight past most of the cells, until he came to one barred by a heavy iron lock at the very end of the row. Growling, his magic flared, and Harry grinned maliciously, giving him a little boost as he obliterated the door into sawdust and slivers of iron.

Sirius Black looked up at them, a cocky grin on his face, and asked, "Well, well, well. What took you all so damn long?" With a cry, Remus rushed into the cell and gathered Sirius into his arms. Harry followed at a slightly more sedate pace. He crashed into his godfather just as soon as Remus had released him, holding him tight and reassuring himself that Sirius was indeed alive and well.

Harry frowned, pulling back and facing Sirius. "No torture? No starvation? No beatings?" Sirius just shook his head, frowning as well. "No nightmares?" Harry pressed.

Sirius just raised an eyebrow, replying, "Only my own." Now Harry was worried. There was no way that Bellatrix had forbidden the Skullbearers to hurt Sirius, or that she hadn't hurt him herself. It had to be some elaborate trick. Unfortunately, he didn't know what the trick could possibly be.

Moody broke into his turbulent thoughts, grunting, "We've got him, and he's unharmed. Let's not stop to count our blessings; we should get out of here before that changes." The others agreed wholeheartedly, and they filed out of the prison, heading back for the stairs, where Nagini proceeded to guide them once again. This time, it only took them about half an hour to find their way back to the front doors, which were clear of both Skullbearers and traps. Harry shivered, and the rescue team traded uneasy glances. This was too easy, and they all knew it. Now they just had to wait for the other shoe to drop.

Deciding that they really had nothing to lose, they slipped outside, watching the area around them carefully. Unfortunately, Moody was once again in the rear, and by the time he cleared the building and noticed the elaborate illusion, it was too late. He yelled, "Trap!" but it had already been sprung. The Queen of Nightmares had deceived them all, even Moody with his magical eye.

Sirius was the first to stumble on the vines that dragged him underground. Harry went next, trying to grab onto his godfather to rescue him. Just before he went under, he noticed that the manor no longer stood there. Instead, there were only smoldering ruins. The whole thing had been a trap. The others were fighting for their lives, hacking through the vines and trying to reach Harry. Sirius had already disappeared.

As Harry slipped under, he opened the mind-link and called, **_Get to the edge of the barriers and apparate back to Hogwarts! I'll contact you as soon as I can._** He also pulled Salazar off his neck and tossed him to the side, ordering him to protect the others, and to lead them on the next rescue mission. They wouldn't understand him, but he would be able to at least point them in the proper direction. With that, he too disappeared, gaining a grim sense of satisfaction when he saw the others bolting for the edge of the Shadow Realm.

After several eternal minutes of being pulled down through the earth, an air bubble around him ensuring that he didn't die in the process, Harry toppled out into an open area…right into a cell. Wincing at the bruises he was sure to have, Harry sat up and glanced around.

Noting that he couldn't see anything, Harry called softly, "Lumos," and the room lit up. It was a good thing that he didn't need a wand to do magic, or else he would've been in even more trouble.

The room had no door, and the vines that he had come through had apparently dropped him through a solid stone ceiling. When he stretched up to brush it with his fingers, he realized that it was solid on this side.

Growling to himself, he glanced around again, looking for Sirius. He found him in a crumpled, bloodied heap in a corner of the room. Rushing to him and cradling his head in his lap, Harry noticed that the wounds were both new and old, and he cursed himself. The Sirius they had rescued had been nothing more than an illusion. This one was real.

Sirius' eyes flickered open and stared at Harry for a few seconds, before he pulled away with a whimper, pleading, "No more. Please, no more. Stop it, please!" Harry reached for him, but dropped his hand when his godfather pulled back with a cry of fear. Frowning, he wondered what was wrong, until he realized that Sirius probably thought this was another vision sent by Bellatrix.

"Sirius, it's me, Harry. I'm really here." He continued to speak in soft tones, reassuring his godfather that he was real. Slowly, he moved closer to Sirius, until he could touch the man's chest. Calling forth his magic, he sent healing energy into Sirius, healing his wounds and a few cracked and broken bones. Fortunately, nothing vital had been compromised.

Once Sirius was healed, save for a few bruises, he looked at Harry, asking softly, "Harry? Are you really here?"

Harry nodded and smiled sadly, "Yes, Sirius, I'm really here." Then he launched himself at his godfather, crying, "I'm sorry, Sirius. I'm so, so sorry." Sirius clutched him tightly and buried his face in Harry's hair, whispering soft assurances in his ear and encouraging Harry to tell him what had happened, and where the others were.

So Harry told him everything, about how he had located Sirius from their dream, the rescue team, revealing his identity as the Shadow Walker, the stairway maze, the rescue, the illusion that none of them had noticed, the trap, and finally his landing here, with the real Sirius.

He assured his godfather that everyone else was safe. He would know if they were anywhere nearby, which was why he hadn't noticed that Sirius wasn't really Sirius. The real animagus had been close enough to the fake that he hadn't recognized the trap for what it was until it was far too late.

Sirius sighed, "Now my insane cousin has got the both of us."

Harry nodded in glum agreement, and added, "She's also got the Serpent Talisman." When Sirius looked up, shocked, Harry pulled the Talisman out from where it hung around his neck and showed it to Sirius.

"Shit," was all Sirius said, and Harry had to agree.


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize as belonging to Harry Potter is not mine. It belongs to J.K. Rowling. Everything else, though, is mine.**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Battle Against a Full Moon**

Harry had no idea how long they sat there, waiting for their captors to give some indication of what was going to happen next. Sirius was just relieved that they didn't appear to want to torture them, at least not yet, and he was grateful for the reprieve. Harry spent the time trying to reach through the Unity Mark or his bond with his mate, with very little success. Every once in a while, he'd feel a slight itch from the Basilisk over his heart, but he couldn't trace it back to its source to answer Severus, or to allow the others to locate them.

Harry spent a majority of his time curled up next to Sirius, trying to conserve warmth and figure out what was dampening his ability to reach the others. Nothing should have been able to dampen the Mark, but something obviously was, though his magic didn't seem to otherwise be effected, beyond not allowing him to break through the walls or ceiling.

Food and a large jar of water would appear every three days, always when they were sleeping. Neither of them caught so much as a glimpse of their captors, no matter how long they stayed awake, or even if they alternated shifts so that only one of them was sleeping at any given time.

Unaware of the actual passing of time, they had to settle for the random tingles that they felt throughout the day. Harry and Sirius estimated that their marks tingled somewhere around six times a day, and so they used that and their own internal clocks to judge the passing of time.

Several times, Harry shifted into Jachyra form, but that was as far as he got. Once he had shifted, he felt incredibly lethargic and couldn't seem to gather any strength. Sirius had discovered days ago that while he could still shift into Padfoot, it was draining on his energy reserves, so he didn't do it often. After all, with the food rations they were getting, they had enough to survive, but not much else.

By the time two weeks had passed, by their best estimate, neither wizard was in much shape to do anything but lay still and hope that the others found a way to them. They even began to hope that their captors would come for them and drag them out of that god-awful cell. Then at least they'd have a fighting chance. What neither one could figure out, but tried to avoid contemplating, was why no move had been made against them yet. Sure, Sirius had been tortured before Harry had arrived, but they hadn't been touched since then. Not even a demand for the Serpent Talisman had been made.

Sighing, Harry blinked wearily at the wall in front of him, trying to occupy his mind with something – anything – to keep himself from thinking about the near future. Just as he was starting to get lost in his most recent potions experimentation, he a flash caught his eye, like light reflecting off of metal. His eyes widened…light! Standing up, careful to avoid waking Sirius until he knew what was going on, he moved towards the odd glint. Only when he was within three feet of it did he realize that it was a dart, and by then it was too late.

The dart hit him squarely in the chest and he cried out, even as he felt the tranquilizer pulse through him, knocking him out. Muggle means again. These people were good, he had to admit. He faintly heard Sirius calling out to him as he slumped to the ground, and he tried to call a warning to his godfather when he noticed the second dart, but it was too late. As Sirius reached him, the dart was released and Sirius cried out behind him. As the darkness closed around him, he saw Sirius struggling to remain awake and was vaguely aware of the older man pulling the bolt out of his body. After that, he wasn't aware of anything.

BREAK 

Harry groaned as he woke up, his head pounding and his mouth as dry as cotton. Coughing, he took stock of his body. His head felt as if it had been pounded on by a sledgehammer, his throat was itching, and his skin was burning. With that last realization, Harry's eyes opened all the way and he looked down at himself, realizing that he was held down by silver chains, though they allowed him some freedom of movement. As a were-Jachyra, the silver wouldn't kill him, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt him.

Harry also noticed that there was a silver collar around his throat, and realized belatedly that their dungeon must have been surrounded by silver, making his Jachyra form lethargic and slower than his human self. Glancing to the side, he saw Sirius, still unconscious and locked in a silver cage. Apparently, they wanted to ensure that Harry wouldn't be able to easily free his godfather. Now that he was sure that Sirius was all right, Harry extended his other senses and jumped when he realized that there were people in the room. Laughter rang out when the Skullbearers saw him jump, and Harry fought not to blush, a low growl trickling from behind bared teeth as he glared at his captors.

A lighter, more insane laughter filled his ears and Harry spun, growling, towards its source. Sure enough, there stood Bellatrix Lestrange in all her maniacal glory. She was wearing a long black dress with full sleeves that widened at the elbows and hung nearly to the ground. Her pale shoulders were bared, and she wore a silver circlet of two twining serpents in her long black hair. She made a rather beautiful picture from an objective point of view. Harry just thought she looked like a wanna-be queen playing dress-up to try and impress those she considered inferior. Which, in Harry's opinion, was exactly what she was, and he felt nothing but a deep-seated contempt for the individual who was responsible for his godfather's disappearance beyond the Veil.

Snarling, Harry glared up at Bellatrix, and she gazed back at him, obviously amused. After a few minutes of silence in which Harry tried to burn a hole through the Queen's nonexistent heart, she spoke. "I do hope you enjoyed your long stay. Aurors and the Order had been sniffing around, and any of your bonded would have known if you were tortured, as the one that is linked to them all is here, so we had to leave you alone. However, now that they are looking in the completely opposite direction, we can finally have some fun with you two. Oh, and don't even bother trying to shift tonight. The drugs in your system won't allow it."

Harry didn't understand the implications of this, but figured it had to be bad when Sirius cried out, "No! You can't do that to him! You'll kill him, dammit!"

Puzzled, Harry turned his head to face Sirius, who was pressed against the bars of the cage as if he could pass through them if only he tried hard enough. Sirius caught his look and gazed back, the sorrow in his eyes nearly palpable, along with fear – fear for him, for Harry. Pushing through the silver and the drugs, Harry opened the mind-link and asked quietly, **_What's wrong? What will this do to me?_**

Sirius answered him back, his mental voice choked with silent tears that he refused to shed in front of his cousin and the Skullbearers. _Tonight is the night of the full moon, Harry. Normally, you'd be forced to shift, but the drugs in your system are preventing that from happening. As soon as the moon rises, your body will start to fight the drugs and the silver in order to shift. If the drugs are strong enough, you won't be able to change into Amarth, no matter how the moon pulls at you. But the pain that accompanies shifting will remain until after you have shifted, or until the sun rises._ Harry paled at this new information. If he couldn't shift, he'd be in pain worse than the Cruciatus all night long as his body attempted to rearrange itself. He didn't know if he'd survive it.

Bellatrix's cruel laughter brought his attention back to her, and he noticed the gleam in her eyes. That gleam was the same one that Vernon Dursley often had just before he 'punished' Harry by withdrawing food or locking him in the cupboard for a week, and the young wizard gulped, dreading the next words that would come out of her mouth. "Don't worry so much, Potter. Your precious godfather will suffer right along with you tonight, and will die in the morning, unless you hand me the Serpent Talisman."

Harry shuddered at the first part and snarled again at Bellatrix, until the latter half of the sentence clicked in. "Unless you hand me the Serpent Talisman," she had said. That had to mean something, but what?

Shaking his head, Harry knew only one thing for certain, and he took a wild stab in the dark. "No, I won't give you the Talisman. If you can't take it from me, I see no reason to hand it over."

Bellatrix's eyes widened in fury and she stormed over to Harry, slapping him soundly across the face. His head snapped sharply to the side, and he felt the stinging pain from the strike, realizing quickly that she must have caught him with her nails, since blood was dripping down his cheek. He heard Sirius' cry of "Harry!" before he was slapped again on the other cheek.

After that, the blows continued to rain down upon him, all open-handed. However, those long nails often caught him across the face and more blood was drawn. Harry wasn't too bothered by this, though, and just closed his eyes, waiting patiently for the Queen to tire of the abuse. He knew that if he waited silently, not crying out, his abuser would get bored quicker and leave him alone. Only once did he open his eyes, to catch Sirius's gaze in order to assure the older wizard that he was all right.

Sure enough, after about five minutes, Bellatrix ceased striking him. Snarling, she hissed, "Very well, then. Your precious godfather will suffer for your insolence and refusal tonight, at moonrise."

With that, she stalked behind them, leaving the room, leaving only a handful of guards to watch over them. Satisfied that the guards couldn't hear them, and had no interest in either of them besides ensuring that they didn't escape, Harry twisted around in his restraints until he was facing Sirius. Already, he could feel the shallow scratches healing and the blood being absorbed back into his skin. The deeper wounds would only take a matter of hours to completely heal, even with the slower responses resulting from the silver surrounding him.

Sirius spoke quietly, "You did the right thing, Harry. You know that, right? We can't let her have the Talisman, and if she can't take it from you, then you shouldn't give it to her."

Harry nodded and grinned wryly. "I suspect that there was more to it than that, though." When Sirius just raised an eyebrow, Harry elaborated. "It wasn't so much that she minded me having it. She just didn't like the fact that she didn't have it. Besides, she never promised that you wouldn't suffer tonight, regardless. Of course, I think she's forgetting rule number one when dealing with a were-Jachyra: don't harm a Jachyra's bonded when said Jachyra is in the vicinity."

Sirius' eyes widened. "Will you be able to fight through the drugs if I am injured, Harry?"

Harry shrugged, "I don't know, but I do know that I'll start fighting the moment they touch you with the intent to do you harm. You're Remus', and he's mine. That makes you mine as well, and I protect what's mine," he growled. Sirius grinned at him, raising a suggestive eyebrow, and Harry blushed lightly at his own aggressiveness, then grinned tentatively back at his godfather.

Sirius sighed and looked around at his cage. "So, do you think you can get out of those and free me?"

Harry shook his head, "Probably not, but it can't hurt to try, can it? After all, it's not like their spells will hurt me, and if they hurt you, then I'll tear them to shreds, chained or not."

Sirius looked contemplative for a moment and Harry snapped at him, "Don't even think about it, Sirius! I have no desire to go on another rampage. Besides, we wouldn't be able to escape from here anyhow. I can't shift regardless, and without claws and teeth, I can't tear our way out of here. Not to mention that I am in no shape to be wielding any sort of magic." Sirius nodded in understanding and lay down in the cage, closing his eyes. Harry knew what he was doing – Harry was going to try and break them free, and if he did manage, Sirius needed to be as strong and alert as possible given the circumstances.

While Sirius attempted to rest himself, Harry started testing the chains. His body felt sluggish, and he knew that the drugs were pumping their way through his system, making him even weaker than he already was. Since there was no immediate threat to Sirius, Harry didn't really have any incentive to escape, except for the assurances that they'd both be in a great deal of pain beginning at moonrise. Unfortunately, that wasn't quite enough for the Jachyra in him to act, and he cursed Amarth rather soundly in his own mind while he twisted at the chains, searching for a loose link or a cracked manacle, while the guards continued to watch him, amused.

Three hours later, Harry was lying on the floor, his cheek pressed against the cold stones, as the drugs forced him into exhaustion and an inability to move. He could feel the sun going down, and knew that he had only a few more moments before the moon rose high enough in the sky to start singing to Amarth.

Hearing a light rustling, Harry lifted his head with a great deal more effort than he'd ever admit to and saw the Skullbearers filing into the room. Trying to focus through his drug-induced haze, Harry counted about fifty of Bellatrix's followers. After they had all filed in and taken their places around the room, the Living Dementor herself walked in, and Harry snarled silently at her, wishing her all sorts of damnation in the process.

She just smirked at him and gestured to two of her Skullbearers, who dragged Sirius out of his cage. Harry just watched, unable to do anything, as Sirius fought to free himself. Unfortunately, the two Skullbearers – probably Crabbe and Goyle, thought Harry viciously – were bigger and stronger than Sirius, and had no trouble pinning the weakened wizard to the stone floor and chaining him there. A dozen Skullbearers moved up and pointed their wands at the hapless animagus, and Harry tried to growl a warning. Unfortunately, all he managed was a scream as the moon rose.

Oh, God. His body was on fire, ripping along his muscles, tearing at his skin and gnawing at his bones. Harry snapped his head back, cracking his skull against the floor, but that didn't even faze him in the slightest. Nor did it relieve the agonizing pain racing along his body. It went on forever, and Harry realized only vaguely that it wouldn't stop this time. Not until the moon descended once more and the sun rose to take its place. Howling, Harry writhed, flailing his body in a desperate attempt to escape the pain.

Suddenly, a new pain was added onto his, and he grabbed hold and focused on it, knowing that it was important. Sirius! They were hurting Sirius. Inside his body, Amarth growled and snapped, trying to break free of Harry's human body to protect the animagus. Harry screamed as Amarth tried to claw his way out of his body while the drugs held him chained down and prevented Amarth from taking over. Throwing his head back, Harry shrieked, over and over again until it became one loud, unending wail of agony.

Still Amarth focused on Sirius and tried to free himself to help the human. Amarth's attention was drawn briefly to a warmth around his neck, and Harry became aware of the glowing Talisman. Amarth ceased trying to rip his way out of Harry's body, and with his pain cut nearly in half, Harry was able to focus just enough to bring his hands up to the Serpent Talisman and remove it. He knew instinctively, as did Amarth, that Sirius would know how to use the Talisman to free them.

With a cry of rage, Harry snapped the chain holding the Serpent Talisman around his neck and tossed it over towards Sirius. Unfortunately, Bellatrix had noticed what he was doing, and called the Talisman to her with a simple flick of her wand. Harry and Sirius watched in despair as she raised the Talisman high, laughing in triumph while they writhed on the floor, screaming in pain and fear.


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize from the Harry Potter universe belongs to me. Everything else belongs to me, me, me, me, ME!**

**Chapter Thirty: Backfire**

Harry groaned in pain as he regained consciousness, trying to straighten his tense muscles so that he could sit up. Opening his eyes slowly, he noticed that he was back in the damn containment cell again. Cursing rather vociferously, Harry straightened himself out, wincing with every shift of his body, and seated himself so that his back was pressed against the wall in the corner, ensuring that nobody could sneak up on him.

After last night's 'playtime' had been abruptly ended, Bellatrix had thrown them into separate cells and demonstrated just where her name came from. Harry was exhausted from the nightmares that he had been thrown into again and again, until not even the memories could keep him awake any longer through the pain and exhaustion. He knew that Sirius, too, had been subjected to the presence of the Living Dementor, but Amarth had been far too subdued between the drugs and whatever else had happened last night to put up much of a fight.

Closing his eyes, he reached out to find Sirius, who was relatively unharmed and nearby. Well, he was still hurting from the previous night's activities, but he wasn't being injured further.

Harry growled low in his throat and tilted his head back, thinking back over the pain he had endured the night before. Somewhere along the way, while Amarth was trying to rip his way out of Harry's body, fighting the drugs pumping through the teenager's body, the Jachyra had been distracted, and the pain had dulled again. Harry had no idea what had caused it and he was attempting to recall what was going on at the time.

After about fifteen minutes of just drowsing and trying to relax his muscles, assured that Sirius was all right, his eyes snapped open and he bolted upright, moaning in pain as already tense muscles were jerked and pulled even tighter. He was going to need a serious backrub when he got out of there.

Ignoring the stabbing pains for the moment, he brought his thoughts back to the impressions he had gotten when Amarth had subsided last night, before disappearing altogether, granting Harry relief and infuriating the Dark Lady, who had to order the cessation of Sirius' torture.

It had started with a soothing calm spread over his tortured body, blanketing the pain and making it more bearable. All the pieces of the Unity Mark, with the exception of Sirius' part, had started tingling and Amarth had been distracted. The full moon still tugged at him, but he appeared to be settling. Then came the oddest feeling, almost as if Amarth was being pulled out of his body and sent elsewhere.

Concentrating on it now, Harry was shocked to realize that Severus had activated the Unity Mark, but had twisted its use. He had pulled Amarth through the Unity Mark and drawn the Jachyra into himself. Of course, Amarth had still been inside Harry, as he was a natural part of him now, but Severus shouldn't have been able to effectively pull out all the things that made Amarth a Jachyra – his aggressiveness and his loyalty, his fierce protectiveness of those he regarded as his, his need to be near his mate and his other bonded – everything that made Amarth who he was.

Harry had no idea what it meant that Severus could do that, and he wasn't entirely sure that his mate knew what he had done either, or if it could be duplicated. Not that he'd want Severus to try and duplicate it, of course. After all, in order for him to know that Amarth was being denied escape even through the full moon, he had to have been able to feel at least a portion of what Harry had felt last night, and that was simply not acceptable. Not to mention that Harry had absolutely no idea what had happened to his lover when he had tamed Amarth the previous night.

Harry swore to himself that he'd continue to search for a way out, and would take it as soon as possible, bringing Sirius with him. The others were no doubt working on finding and rescuing them, but he knew that they wouldn't want him to wait for them if he could escape on his own.

Sighing, knowing that there was nothing he could do at the moment, Harry tilted his back to lean it against the wall, closing his eyes and waiting patiently for his captors to make a move. He had the feeling that with the Talisman in Bellatrix's possession, they wouldn't remain separated in their cells for long.

Sure enough, only an hour or so later, Harry caught sight of a small glint in the corner of the room. Rolling his eyes and chuckling silently to himself, Harry moved cautiously around the room, running his hands over it again as if he was trying to find the concealed doorway that led out of the cell. When he drew near the corner where the dart was, he watched it carefully out of the corner of his eye. When he was right in front of it, the dart was released, but Harry snapped his hand up and caught the bolt before it touched him. Hoping that his ploy would work, Harry slumped to the ground, letting his eyes glaze over before collapsing in a heap on the floor. As he lay down, Harry set the dart in his clothing and let it just graze him, so that it was more believable.

After waiting silently for a good ten minutes, Harry saw a crescent of light on the wall near the ceiling that gradually grew larger. Soon afterwards, a door was revealed, as well as two Skullbearers who had apparently been sent to retrieve him. One of them muttered, "Wingardium Leviosa" and picked him up, raising him to the door. A "Mobilius Corpus" followed and Harry felt himself drifting behind the two Skullbearers, the door shutting with a quiet click behind them.

Keeping his eyes shut, Harry quickly memorized the path they took, ensuring that he could follow it again if he needed to. He felt, more than saw, the cavernous room they entered, and realized that they were back in the throne room, where they had been tortured last night. He smelled Sirius nearby, surrounded once again by silver, but not unconscious, and he smiled inwardly. His godfather hadn't been an Auror along with James Potter for nothing. He had learned his lesson after the first time, and was now just biding his time, in the same manner that Harry was. Harry could have laughed, and probably would have if the situation weren't so serious.

He felt the cool stones of the floor press against his heated flesh and heard the metal clinking of the silver chains as the Skullbearers maneuvered him so that he'd been pinned flush against the floor of the chamber. Rolling his eyes, Harry concentrated and turned the silver manacles into plain steel, leaving only a silver coating around the outside to avoid rousing suspicion. Free of the majority of silver, Harry opened the bond wide and reached out for his mate. **_Severus? Can you hear me now?_** he called tentatively, unsure as to whether or not the bond was clear enough to reach his lover.

He felt Severus' surprise through the bond, followed immediately by joy as he answered Harry _Yes, Harry, I can hear you. Are you all right?_

Harry felt the anxious concern in Severus' voice and laughed through the bond, replying, **_Yes, Severus, thanks to whatever it is you did last night. I am fine. Do you think you can follow the bond and rescue me and Sirius now? _**When Severus assured him that all the bonded, as well as the Shadowen, Dumbledore, Salazar, and a dozen members from the Order were coming to their rescue, Harry couldn't help the giddy anticipation that filled him. Soon, they'd be out of here. Now, he just had to figure out to get the Serpent Talisman on their way out, preferably before the rescue team arrived.

As soon as Bellatrix had received the Talisman, she had placed it about her neck. Harry didn't think she had used it yet, since she was still holed up in this place, wherever this was. Of course, she would very likely turn it against the Order when they arrived, attempting to drain their magic and turn them into Squibs in the process. Of course, draining people like Severus and Dumbledore would very likely age her very quickly. Hmm…perhaps she was planning on having someone else use it and then using a ritual to transfer the power to herself. That way, she wouldn't be forced to age as she gained power.

The door opened, but Harry remained still with his eyes closed and his body relaxed, still appearing to be unconscious. He heard the soft whisper of the Queen's dress and the click of her heels as she crossed the room to her throne. Quickly, she was seated upon it and the doors opened once more, this time to permit the Skullbearers to enter. They too crossed the room to the throne and bowed to Bellatrix, murmuring of her glory and their undying loyalty to her. Harry barely suppressed a snort of derision at these pathetic fools, and could feel Sirius struggling to hold in his taunting laughter at their kowtowing.

Once the general bowing and scraping was done, the room fell silent as Bellatrix rose. "Today is a great day for us," she began, and Harry proceeded to tune her out. With everybody's attention on the Queen, Harry risked opening his eyes just a bit, glancing around the room and looking towards his godfather, who had apparently decided to do the same thing and was grinning at him, his eyes dancing with mirth.

Harry just rolled his eyes and sent his Jachyra magic questing, small tendrils of magic searching for the Serpent Talisman. He found it around Bellatrix's throat, which is where he had expected it to be, but the intentions coming from the Queen of Nightmares froze him in his tracks. Bellatrix was planning on draining him and Sirius first to ensure that the Talisman did indeed work. If she did that, he'd still have the Jachyra magic to fall back on – even the Talisman couldn't rid him of the lycanthropy – but Sirius would no longer have any magic. He'd be a prisoner again, this time trapped in his own body, unable to use the magic that he had grown up knowing, unable to be a part of the world he was born and raised in.

Forming a plan quickly, Harry opened the mind-link and ordered Sirius to continue pretending to remain unconscious, no matter what. His tone brooked no argument, and as the older man complied with his demand, Harry began to stir, groaning as if regaining consciousness.

The useless drivel that Bellatrix had been spouting was abruptly cut off and Harry heard the click-clack of Bellatrix coming closer. As he opened his eyes, Harry came face to face with the bottom of her dress.

Tilting his head back to look upwards, he saw Bellatrix's smug face and growled, low in his throat. Amarth wanted to come out and play, and Harry wasn't going to be able to hold him back for long. Fortunately, Bellatrix was rather impatient, so he doubted he'd have to wait.

Sure enough, Bellatrix smiled down at him maliciously and asked, "Well, boy, how did you like last night's entertainment? I'm sure it was far more enjoyable for us." Bending down, she grasped his chin in her hand and forced him to meet her eyes.

Smiling, she leaned closer to him, almost as if she'd kiss him, before turning his head to the side and nuzzling along his throat and jaw, sniffing. "Hmm…you reek of power, little one. A great deal of power. Such a pity you're about to lose it all." Harry let his eyes widen in slow realization and Bellatrix laughed, releasing his head to smack into the floor and standing.

Glancing over to the cage where Sirius lay, fuming but still motionless, she spoke again, "Normally I'd wait for my dear cousin to awaken so that he might enjoy the festivities, but I'm rather…eager…to see if this works, and to find out just how much power you have."

Turning back to Harry, she started chanting in a language completely unfamiliar to him. As the pendant around her throat began to glow, Harry heard a light hissing voice talking to him, _I do hope you know what you're doing, little sssspeaker_ it called.

Glancing around, Harry noticed Nagini trapped in a large tank, watching the proceedings with mild interest. _It would do nobody any good if you were to be trapped in here and powerlesssss, young ssserpent._

Harry smiled at Nagini and hissed back softly as Bellatrix's chanting increased in volume, _Do not worry, precioussss Nagini. I will not be hurt by a Talissssman created by Merlin himsssself. Why are you here?_

Nagini lowered her head in shame and hissed back, _I had not intended to lead you asssstray. I wassss not aware that the building wassss a trap until it wassss too late. When I sssaw the man that wassss there, he wasss injured. I did not have time to warn you when I sssaw him completely healed and running out with you._ Harry nodded in understanding, but his attention was brought back to Bellatrix as the amulet proceeded to glow as brightly as a mini nova, and Harry had to narrow his eyes to see anything. He wondered if it would take this long to activate the Talisman when the Order arrived, or if she'd just keep it activated until then.

Suddenly, a bright beam of green light, similar in color to the Killing Curse, shot from the pendent and hit him in the chest. He could feel the Talisman connect with his magic and hesitate, apparently recognizing him as one of Merlin's heirs. He had been counting on the paragraph he had read about the Talisman not wishing any harm to its creator's bloodline. Just as quickly as it had attacked him, the Talisman pulled back and sought out different magic, its power still activated. Quickly, Harry threw a shield imbued with his magical signature over Sirius and watched as the Serpent Talisman skipped over him, recognizing Harry's claim, and ripped through the ranks of Skullbearers, draining them of their magic.

Smirking, Harry opened the bond and informed Severus of what was going on, allowing Sirius to join in and reassure Remus that he was just fine. He asked them to hold on a minute until he could wrest the Talisman away from the Queen, who stood there, dumbfounded. They agreed to wait for his signal, or until the bond weakened or shut again.

Taking the compromise, Harry gathered himself and released Amarth, letting the Jachyra take control and shift. As his arms and legs grew, ending in massive paws, the steel chains around him snapped. He shook his mane back and stepped lightly out of the chains, padding over to Sirius and melting the bars to his cage. After all, he wasn't the one surrounded by silver, so he had no problem manipulating it.

Urging Sirius to climb onto his back, Amarth turned back towards Bellatrix and the fleeing Skullbearers, as they finally realized that their Mistress was so caught up in the power flow that she didn't care if she was about to drain all the magic from those followers that were in the room.

Growling, Amarth called to the Talisman and stopped it from reaching out to drain the waiting rescue force after it finished with the Skullbearers. Then he waited, watching as Bellatrix came down from her magic-induced high and noticed him. When she did, her eyes widened and she backed up, trying to call the Talisman back into service. Unfortunately for her, Harry had more control over Merlin's Talisman than she did, and he worked from inside Amarth to keep it calm.

As Amarth moved forward, snarling menacingly, the Queen backed up. She couldn't use her nightmares because Harry was shielded by Amarth, who didn't have dreams, and Sirius was protected through his bond to the were-Jachyra. Scrambling backwards, Bellatrix tripped over her own dress and Amarth pounced, clawing at her and snapping his teeth. He discovered that there were no barriers to keep him from injuring her, despite being unable to actually kill her. The Talisman wouldn't let him kill its wearer, no matter if he were descended from Merlin's bloodline or not. But the Queen didn't know that, and Amarth planned to take full advantage of it.

Still snarling, Amarth mind-spoke to her, **_How much is your life worth, Bellatrix? Would you throw it away to keep that Talisman? After all, once you're dead, I can simply take it from you. That's how it's changed hands before, and it will do so again today. _**Strictly speaking, that was true. Once the people who bore the Talisman had died due to its side effects, it could easily be removed and taken by somebody else. They just couldn't be killed by outside sources.

Her eyes narrowing, Bellatrix hissed, "And how do I know that you'll let me go after I give up the Talisman?"

Amarth grinned down at her, baring his fangs. He was tempted to reply that she didn't, but decided against it. He could feel his human mate was impatient to move against Bellatrix, and decided to finish this as quickly as possible. **_I give you my word both as Amarth and as Harry Potter that I will not harm you any further once I have the Talisman_**

He had worded it very carefully, so that she wouldn't be able to hold him to his oath and escape completely. Had he promised to let her go, he would have had no choice but to let her escape before calling in the Order.

Bellatrix apparently didn't realize this in her panic, because she removed the Talisman with an impatient snarl and thrust it at Amarth, who took it gently in his mouth before backing off of her and calling in the Order, the Shadowen, and his bonded. Immediately, people flooded into the room, pushing back the Skullbearers who had tried to flee. Many of them were Squibs now, and Amarth felt a keen sense of justice at their predicament, although he could sympathize with them. It must be awful to be denied the use of a gift you had been born with, all because of a trinket and a sadistic bitch that you had foolishly decided to follow. Of course, as these were mostly the same idiots who had followed Voldemort, he couldn't dredge up _too_ much sympathy for their plight.

Outnumbered and out-powered, Bellatrix called upon her power in a last-ditch effort to escape and salvage what she could. Suddenly, all the light wizards in the room faltered as they were thrown into their worst nightmares, reliving them all over again in stunning clarity.

Amarth felt Sirius shudder where he perched on Amarth's sleek back and growled, turning his head and nudging the Talisman into Sirius' hand. The human gripped the Serpent Talisman tightly before turning the amulet's power against Bellatrix, whose power collapsed around her as the magic continued to drain her.

Acting quickly, Amarth slid Sirius to the ground and shifted back into human form, calling to the Talisman and ordering it to feed Bellatrix's power to him. It obeyed, having been given no direction from Sirius himself, and Harry felt the power over nightmares entering his body, as well as the power of the Skullbearers whose magic she had absorbed.

The power was incredible, and it seemed to never end, flowing through him in warm currents, flashing like lightning across his pale flesh, shining through his violet eyes. Harry let it wash over him as he watched the Order round up the present Skullbearers, who had faltered when Bellatrix was drained of power.

Eventually, the torrent of magic ceased and Harry collapsed next to his godfather, breathing heavily. The Talisman may not have been able to age him, but it left him exhausted and nauseous, clinging to consciousness. He saw Sirius as he was pushed aside to be replaced by Severus' worried face peering down at him. Harry offered up a weak smile of reassurance before collapsing into unconsciousness, no longer worried about escape.


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: S.O.S. Not mine if recognizable as belonging to the world of Harry Potter, created by J.K. Rowling.**

**Chapter Thirty-One: Happily Ever After**

The pain. Oh, dear Merlin, the pain! Harry tried to scream as his body was ripped apart when Amarth heeded the call of the moon and shifted, but he found that all movement was restricted. The burning, tearing sensation screamed through his body as claws sprouted from fingers and toes, bones and muscles lengthened into a long sleek animal body, and organs rearranged themselves inside of him. Unable to move in an effort to alleviate some of the pain, Harry lashed out in the only way he could – through his mind.

Just as suddenly as it had started, the pain ceased and Amarth went limp inside his own mind, as his body was still frozen. As he calmed down, he became aware of the voice calling to him. _Harry? Harry! Are you all awake? Are you okay? Oh, please, for the love of Merlin, tell me you're all right!_ the voice pleaded.

Amarth sighed silently and replied **_I'm okay, love. I think. I don't know. I can't move. Why can't I move!_** The last cry came out desperately, its edges tinged in panic.

Soothing warmth was pushed through the bond by Severus, and Amarth gradually calmed down enough to take in his surroundings. Bright lights, medicinal scents, a feeling of sterility that actually made anybody unfortunate enough to be there feel sick and nauseous; Amarth was trapped in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. It didn't really surprise him, though. He just couldn't seem to avoid landing here at least once a month, often for long periods of time.

Disgruntled, Amarth waited impatiently for his mate to arrive and tell him why the hell he couldn't move. More importantly, Severus had better have a good reason for leaving him here in Madame Pomfrey's not-so-tender mercies.

Shortly thereafter, Severus stepped into the hospital wing, followed by Lucius, Draco, Fred, George, Ron, and Hermione. Amarth wondered briefly where his godfathers were, until he remembered that he hadn't been the only one forced to shift. Suddenly it occurred to him that he hadn't been aware of anything until tonight, which meant that he had been in a coma for the past month after he and Sirius had drained Bellatrix of all her magic, leaving her as nothing more than a Squib. No wonder Severus had sounded so frantic.

As Severus removed the binds on him and nullified the paralyzing potions that been force-fed to him, Amarth shifted his healed body and opened his eyes, gazing at his surroundings.

Noticing the tears in his lover's eyes, Amarth attempted to stand and nuzzle the onyx-eyed wizard, but his legs gave out from under him and he collapsed heavily back onto the bed. Draco climbed quickly onto the bed, curling up around this bond-brother as Severus went to get some more potions. The Weasley twins also clambered onto the bed, one curling up in front of Amarth and the other lying at Draco's back. Lucius Malfoy just watched the proceedings, amused when Amarth's grumpiness at not being able to do so much as stand traveled through the bond in the form of incoherent mutterings.

When Severus returned, he poured several replenishing and energizing potions down Amarth's throat, explaining shortly, "I expect you want out of here now that you're awake, but nobody here can carry you as you are now. Seeing as that you've been out for the past three months, you'll need all these just to make it down to our quarters." It took Amarth several moments to comprehend what he had been told. Three months…they were captured in mid-January and rescued at the end of the month, which meant that it was now the end of April, the month before May, before…

**_Shit!_** Amarth exclaimed, bolting upright in the bed and staring at Severus, pleading for an answer.

Severus smiled and thought back at him, _Don't worry. Our wedding is in two weeks, but we can put it off if we need to. Minerva and Miss Granger have planned for most of our wedding, including the guest list, with only minimal input on my part. We just have to come up with our vows._

Amarth nodded his great head and lay back down on the bed, not quite ready to move yet. The three other wizards curled closer to him, holding Amarth tightly as if to reassure themselves that he was really all right. When they were convinced, they gave him one last hug and slipped off the bed and out the door. Ron and Hermione were next, giving him a hug and making him promise to come visit them as soon as he was able to before leaving as well, so that only Lucius and Severus remained.

Lucius turned to face Amarth and smiled. "We didn't lose anybody. A few of the Shadowen were injured, but they've been healed and are back home with their families. None of them were arrested. All the Skullbearers that were at the battle were arrested, and they're working on finding the others, but it's difficult. Apparently, one of the stipulations for them joining Bellatrix was that the Marks would disappear should she be defeated. Our Dark Lady is currently spending time in Azkaban. I do believe that she has been placed right across from Riddle's cell. I wonder how they're getting on," he wondered out loud.

Amarth's eyes danced as he leapt lightly to the floor. **_Did anybody mention her opinions of him to our dear friend Tom?_**

Lucius gazed back at him innocently as he replied, "Oh, I don't know. I may have accidentally let it slip when I went to visit Riddle in prison to give him news of Nagini and of the world around him." Amarth snorted and thanked Lucius before turning to Severus, who just smiled at him softly before turning around and gliding out of the Infirmary, Amarth padding alongside him.

They remained silent on the way to the dungeons, taking comfort in each other's presence. Amarth already felt the potions wearing off and stopped, turning to Severus, who looked back at him expectantly, waiting for him to say whatever it is he wanted to say. **_Why don't you just hit me with some charms and hexes and let me convert the magic into strength so that I recover more quickly?_**

Severus blinked, then flushed lightly and Amarth smirked inwardly. Apparently, Severus had forgotten that he was capable of converting spells into energy, falling back onto what he was most familiar with to help Amarth – potions.

Quickly, Severus threw a series of strong spells at Amarth, which he absorbed into himself and used to strengthen him to the point where he could easily make it the rest of the way to the dungeons. With that accomplished, they started moving again, Severus informing Amarth that Dumbledore wished to speak with them the following afternoon, and that he'd be showing up after lunch.

Speaking of Dumbledore, Amarth wondered about whether or not he'd be graduating with the rest of his year mates, even though he was technically an apprentice and not a regular student. Severus assured him that he'd receive his Hogwarts diploma at the end of May with his friends. Amarth was pleased and bounded ahead of his mate after nuzzling his hand affectionately.

As he neared the dungeon, Amarth heard scratching and smelled two canines – a wolf and a large dog. His godfathers were in their chambers! Growling delightedly, the Jachyra surged forward, stopping outside the door to their chambers and waiting impatiently for Severus to open the door. Once he had done so, Amarth pounced on Moony, his tail lashing behind him as he greeted the canine duo. Padfoot nuzzled him and licked along his face, happy to see him.

After their rather enthusiastic greeting, the three animals curled up in front of the fire. Amarth looked back from his position behind Padfoot and Moony and gazed at Severus, who was watching them with a look of longing on his face. Quietly, he offered **_Come join us?_**

Severus shook his head. _I am human, Amarth. I cannot join you and be comfortable doing so._

Amarth rolled his eyes and retorted, **_Are you, or are you not, an animagus now?_**

Severus' eyes widened, but then he bit his lower lip, staring back at the Jachyra doubtfully. _Would it be okay?_

Amarth nodded for the three of them, informing his godfathers of what was happening. They too stared at Severus, wagging their tails and inviting him to join them for the night. The raven-haired man smiled happily and shifted into a Basilisk, curling up around all three of them. Curled together, Severus' warm scales undulated around them with every breath, creating a soothing rhythm that soon had them all drifting to sleep.

BREAK 

Harry paced nervously as he waited for the wedding to start. Sirius was with him while Remus was with Severus. Sirius had wanted to be with Harry's husband, but they all refused flat-out – the poor man was agitated enough as it was, and Sirius' teasing wouldn't help matters any. So in retribution, Sirius teased his godson to the point where the young man was flushing with embarrassment and nearly dancing in anticipation. Outside on the Quidditch pitch, which had been temporarily renovated for their wedding, Harry could hear the staff and students talking amongst themselves. Harry's and Severus' families and close friends were sitting up front, and everybody else filled in behind them.

Molly Weasley had nearly suffocated poor Harry with her well-wishes and exuberant hugs, but at least he hadn't had it nearly as bad as Severus, who was reminded of just why you didn't piss of the Weasley matriarch.

A chime went off in the room and Harry jumped, turning to face the door nervously. Sirius, all business and encouragement now, offered his arm to Harry—he would be the one giving him away to Severus—and murmured, "It'll be all right, Harry. You have everything you need, and you've memorized your vows by heart. Nothing is going to get in the way of your happiness. So breathe, okay?"

Harry chuckled nervously and nodded. "Okay." With that, he braced himself as the doors opened onto the rolling lawn of Hogwarts. It was finally time to make his dreams come true, he thought as he strode out into the sunlight.

BREAK 

Sirius nuzzled against Remus that evening, sighing contentedly when the werewolf held him tightly against his bare chest. "I already miss him, Moony," he sighed, and Remus just nodded. "Don't worry so much, Sirius. They'll be back after their honeymoon, and then we'll get to see Harry often. After all, he's out of school now, and until he decides what he wants to do, he'll be staying in Snape Manor. Severus has already promised that we could visit whenever we wanted to." Sirius nodded, mollified for the moment.

Remus smiled gently and kissed the top of Sirius' hair, making the animagus coo in pleasure at the touch. "One big happy family," he murmured drowsily, starting to drift off to sleep. "Hmm…would you like to make our family even bigger?" he asked idly.

Sirius just murmured a sleepy, "Hmm," and Remus grinned wickedly.

"Then perhaps I'll talk to Severus about making us a potion so that we can have our own children."

Sirius just gave another noncommittal murmur, but then his eyes snapped open and he twisted around to stare up at his lover, his eyes wide and surprised. "What!" he demanded, and Remus laughed, shrugging.

"I just thought that we might like to have our own children. We never really had a chance to raise Harry, and now he's all grown up and married. We're not getting any younger, and I rather like the idea of having our own child. Besides, I imagine that young Harry might like to have some siblings."

Sirius just stared at him for several long moments, his face unreadable, until Remus started to squirm uncomfortably, flushing. Then he smiled brightly, "Make you a deal. I don't have a problem with it, and I might just like to have a child of our own, but we have to get Harry's blessing first. I don't want him to feel that we're going to abandon him as soon as we have a child of our own." Remus nodded easily in acquiescence, smiling brightly at Sirius and giving his lover a firm kiss.

Sirius smirked and responded eagerly, shifting so that he was positioned on top of Remus, his long body completely covering that of the smaller man. Settled, he smiled down at the love of his life, his mate, and said, "Well, I'm still not sure about this, Moony. I think you're going to have to convince me a little better than that."

Remus just grinned back at his lover and teased, "As you wish, love."

BREAK 

Ron grinned at Hermione, tugging her gently onto his lap so that he could kiss her. Breaking away, he grinned abashedly up at her. She smiled in return, murmuring, "That wedding was beautiful, wasn't it, Ron? And there were so many people there, all wishing Harry and Severus the best."

Ron smirked, "Yeah, but I thought Mum was going to kill them both. I almost feel sorry for Snape." Hermione glared at him reprovingly, but he ignored it, pulling her down for another kiss.

BREAK 

Draco sighed happily, snuggled between his two lovers. George nuzzled him from behind while Fred kissed along his jaw and throat. Slitting his eyes open, Draco smiled up at the twins. "Heh, who'd have thought I'd ever hook up with any Weasley, nevermind two of them."

George inserted one of his legs between Draco's and murmured, "Eh, who'd have thought we'd ever hook up with a Malfoy. I'm sure your father must have been devastated when you first introduced us." Fred murmured his agreement, now tracing random paths along Draco's chest.

The twins shared a glance between them that Draco caught, and he looked at them questioningly. "What is it, you two?"

They flushed lightly and looked down at him. "Well, you've introduced us to your parents, and we were wondering if we could introduce you to ours."

Before Draco could open his mouth to reply, George piped up, "I know you've met everyone before, but we're talking about taking you to the Burrow, letting you get to actually live as part of our family."

Draco blinked, then smiled tentatively up at them. "You'd do that? You want to bring me to your home?" The twins nodded at him simultaneously and Draco flushed lightly, lowering his eyes as he replied, "I think…I would like that."

Fred and George smiled brightly at him, and the room was silent for a few seconds until George couldn't take it anymore. "All right, enough with the sentimental crap. Where are those kisses?" Laughter filled the room as the three wizards set about answering the question.

BREAK 

Harry smiled at his lover as they lay sated and exhausted on their bed, nuzzling against him. "I'm glad we're finally married, Sev," he murmured. Severus voiced his agreement, holding Harry tightly. Shifting, the were-Jachyra moved upwards so that he could look at Severus' face when he told him the news, biting his lower lip nervously.

Severus looked up at him curiously, raising an eyebrow in query. "What is it, Harry? You've obviously got something to say, so spit it out." Harry sighed and lowered his head, giving Severus a firm kiss that left no doubt in either of their minds just how committed they were to each other.

Raising his head again, Harry asked, "You know the last time we made love? When I told you that something had changed, but I didn't know what?"

Severus nodded, his curiosity peaked. "Yes, I remember. You went to visit Madame Pomfrey a few days later."

Harry nodded and said, "Ummm…she told me what the problem was."

Severus' eyes widened and he asked quickly. "What is it? Is something wrong? Are you hurt? Ill?"

Harry shook his head quickly, placing a hand over his husband's mouth to stop the questions. Bracing himself, he stammered, "It's nothing like that. I'm…um…I'm p-pregnant."

Closing his eyes, he counted. When he reached ten, a yell shattered the silence, "You're what!"

**THE END.**


End file.
